Commuting - Can cycling cause an enlarged prostate?

As I was talking to my LBS earlier today, the salesperson was telling me that a seat not fitted properly can cause a prostate to enlarge. Is that true? Are cyclists more at risk at developing cancer?

I'm not a doctor...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

Actually, I don't know. That's a good question. Hopefully a medical expert will chime in, but until one does...

I've heard lots of cycling medical risks connected with saddles, and most of them turn out to be...um...not true. However, I've never heard this one before, so I'll wait to hear the replies.

Depending on your age... there are a lot of physical conditions out there that can cause prostate problems. I've never heard of bicycling being one of them.

But I'm not a medical professional, so I'll be curious to see what a professional says about it.

Saddle fitment and ED have been linked for ages. The ED, however, isn't related to an enlarged prostate specifically; to the best of my knowledge it is of neurological and vascular origin, not endocrine.

Riding without a seat is hell on the prostate--especially when you jump curbs.

As I was talking to my LBS earlier today, the salesperson was telling me that a seat not fitted properly can cause a prostate to enlarge. Is that true? Are cyclists more at risk at developing cancer?

#1- I'm NOT a doctor.

but- an enlarged prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia is not always indicative nor even necessarily related to cancer. And yet- if you have any concerns about your prostate get checked by having a PSA test. If you're over 50 (and male, of course) you should be getting this test by your doctor regularly.

enlargement of the prostate (prostatitis) can lead to urinary tract infections. If the prostate is now infected pressure on the area (ie from a bike seat) can exacerbate that condition and cause it to worsen. Basically, you're pumping the infection into the urinary tract and potentially the kidneys (not a good thing) when you're putting pressure on the enlarged and inflamed prostate.

My completely uneducated and layman-like guess is that bicycling may not necessarily be the cause of prostate problems but it can make symptoms worse once an inflammation develops. If your prostate is sensitive to infection and prone to BPH you'll probably want to take your seat choice and adjustment even more seriously in order to prevent triggering the BPH.

Well, I am a physician, and I would suggest your LBS 'advice' is a load of crap. You sit on your 'sit bones' and -- depending on your seat -- put pressure on the blood supply to your penis or labia [leading to ED, for example], but you certainly aren't putting any pressure on your prostate, and definitely aren't making it enlarged. Period.

jpatkinson,

Thanks for the tips. When he told me that, i just kept thinking of the millions of chinese and thousands of dutch who cycle and have been cycling for generations and they are not that much more healthier than we are when it comes to medical problems.

By the way i'm 30.

Not riding is more likely to give you far more serious issues.

Well, I am a physician, and I would suggest your LBS 'advice' is a load of crap. You sit on your 'sit bones' and -- depending on your seat -- put pressure on the blood supply to your penis or labia [leading to ED, for example], but you certainly aren't putting any pressure on your prostate, and definitely aren't making it enlarged. Period.

jpatkinson,
I agree that the sales person at the LBS was spreading false medical information, probably to sell a specific product. But I think a quick review of the anatomy of the male pelvis will reveal that sitting on a bike seat could most certainly put pressure on the prostate, especially if the seat is not the right size or is not positioned correctly. If I can stick my finger into the rectum just a couple inches and feel the prostate how can the prostate be immune to the physical pressure of sitting on a bike seat? This type of pressure can also put pressure on the urethra (which passes through the prostate) and can lead to "prostatitis" or "epididymitis" both of which can be characterized by urinary symptoms.

Most importantly, we both agree that riding a bike does NOT cause prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer.

The "big picture" is that while riding a bike will always cause some wear-and-tear to certain body parts due to the inherent design of the machine, the health benefits by far outweigh any problems that MOST people will endure.

Ride on.

Respectfully,
pedal.there

#1- I'm NOT a doctor.

but- an enlarged prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia is not always indicative nor even necessarily related to cancer. And yet- if you have any concerns about your prostate get checked by having a PSA test. If you're over 50 (and male, of course) you should be getting this test by your doctor regularly.

enlargement of the prostate (prostatitis) can lead to urinary tract infections. If the prostate is now infected pressure on the area (ie from a bike seat) can exacerbate that condition and cause it to worsen. Basically, you're pumping the infection into the urinary tract and potentially the kidneys (not a good thing) when you're putting pressure on the enlarged and inflamed prostate.

My completely uneducated and layman-like guess is that bicycling may not necessarily be the cause of prostate problems but it can make symptoms worse once an inflammation develops. If your prostate is sensitive to infection and prone to BPH you'll probably want to take your seat choice and adjustment even more seriously in order to prevent triggering the BPH.

I am not a doctor, am in my mid-50s, averaged 10000km annually on the bike in my mid to late 40s, have only averaged about 1000k/year since then, and have had the PSA test done almost every year for the past 8 years with all normal results --- until last fall when the test results jumped up to almost 10 -- not good. Ended up at a urologist who did a PSA Ratio test (free PSA/Total PSA) which is a better indicator of cancer being present. The result (.28) indicates that the likelyhood of cancer is less than 10%. Good news. However, the prostate WAS enlarged, and the urologist definitely believes that cycling exacerbates the problem. I stopped cycling, made some significant life style changes, lost 25 lb, and am now looking for a recumbent so that I can continue getting out on the road.

Someone above suggested that the benefits of cycling out weigh a "potential" problem with the prostate. Philosophically, I tend to agree but getting through the problems that I had last fall was not fun. I stopped cycling on an upright bike because I do not want to be in that state (or worse) again. But I love cycling and am really hoping that a recumbent works for me -- I will find out next week as I am renting one for seven days.

If you ride with your seat adjusted like this it might cause prostate problems:

http://www.interbmx.com/img/0705/InterBMX.com.2828.19.074647.jpg

As I was talking to my LBS earlier today, the salesperson was telling me that a seat not fitted properly can cause a prostate to enlarge. Is that true? Are cyclists more at risk at developing cancer?


What was the salesperson trying to sell you when they said that?

As I was talking to my LBS earlier today, the salesperson was telling me that a seat not fitted properly can cause a prostate to enlarge. Is that true? Are cyclists more at risk at developing cancer?

I'm 37 years old and never had prostate problems until 2006, and I've been cycling seriously for 25 years. My doctor, as well as my brother (who is also a doctor), said cycling didn't cause it... but I can tell you that it did make cycling for long periods a little less comfortable. Of greater concern were the other symptoms that showed up first: Strange pains that at first my doctor suggested might be kidney stones. Then he thought I might have an infection. After an exam and some tests it turned out to be prostatitis. I was on antibiotics for a long time... something like six or eight weeks. This cleared up the other symptoms, but my prostate was still slightly enlarged for a long time after that. All told I think I had problems for a total of one year or more. Fortunately everything has seemed normal for many months (knock on wood).

So cycling won't cause prostatitis, but prostatitis can make cycling a pain in the a** :(

I'm not a doctor either, but I am interested in the question. A few observations that may be relevant:

I read recently that in most men the prostate tends to enlarge over time; cycling was not mentioned as a cause.

I asked my urologist about it a few years ago, and his opinion was that cycling is not harmful to the prostate. He said some cyclists get pinched nerves or other nerve damage from the way they sit on the saddle, which can be a serious problem; but most of us don't even have that. On the other hand, my father's urologist advised him to get one of those saddles that has the big hole in the center of the top, to reduce pressure on the prostate. I believe this was a non-cyclist doctor's suggestion for how to reduce discomfort, rather than the risk of damage.

My wife recently read a book that mentioned, among other things, that eating animal protein (meat, eggs, dairy) probably causes prostate cancer. That's not to say this is generally accepted, of course.

If you ride with your seat adjusted like this it might cause prostate problems:

http://www.interbmx.com/img/0705/InterBMX.com.2828.19.074647.jpg

That or an intense desire to start a home decorating business.......

http://www.interbmx.com/img/0705/InterBMX.com.2828.19.074647.jpg

OMG. :eek: x 10^23

As I was talking to my LBS earlier today, the salesperson was telling me that a seat not fitted properly can cause a prostate to enlarge. Is that true? Are cyclists more at risk at developing cancer?

Im not a doctor, but no, I don't believe that a bike can cause "cancer"... however an uncomfortable seat with a "nose" can cause nerve damage which could lead to ED...
If a seat causes you "numbness" during a ride and pain later, then you might really want to find a different
seat... another strategy that you should do anyway, is to get up out of the saddle periodically, as well as change your hand positon periodically to prevent numbness there too...

Not riding is more likely to give you far more serious issues.

Exactly what I thought when I read the title

however an uncomfortable seat with a "nose" can cause nerve damage which could lead to ED...
.

Please don't try to sell us on those ridiculous noseless saddles.

My wife recently read a book that mentioned, among other things, that eating animal protein (meat, eggs, dairy) probably causes prostate cancer. That's not to say this is generally accepted, of course.

wow... what a way to revive an a thread...lol. By any chance did your wife read THE CHINA STUDY? Great book (if that was it). Since reading it, i've reduced my animal intake to 2 servings a week, where at one point, it used to be almost 7 days. I've never felt better since I made the change to primarily veggie!!!!

Well...I would suggest your LBS 'advice' is a load of crap...Period.

+1

I was getting sore in my "inguinal area" (sp?) after several months of frequent bicycle commuting. I spend hours and hours in web research on bicycle seats. I believe that if you ride with a seat which puts pressure between your lets rather than on your sits bones you can get at least temporary swelling of your prostate. There are many bicycle seats designed to reduce this problem. Some are incredibly expensive. I decided to start buying seats one at a time to see if any solved the problem. I first bought a Terry saddle. Very expensive, but little improvement. I then changed seats to a very cheap, but uniquely designed UK seat called the "Rido" and it has solved the problem for me. I also wear bicycle pants with a chamois pad. If I am going more than 25 miles or so I also use Pace Chamois Butt'r.

jpatkinson,
I agree that the sales person at the LBS was spreading false medical information, probably to sell a specific product. But I think a quick review of the anatomy of the male pelvis will reveal that sitting on a bike seat could most certainly put pressure on the prostate, especially if the seat is not the right size or is not positioned correctly. If I can stick my finger into the rectum just a couple inches and feel the prostate how can the prostate be immune to the physical pressure of sitting on a bike seat? This type of pressure can also put pressure on the urethra (which passes through the prostate) and can lead to "prostatitis" or "epididymitis" both of which can be characterized by urinary symptoms.

Most importantly, we both agree that riding a bike does NOT cause prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer.

The "big picture" is that while riding a bike will always cause some wear-and-tear to certain body parts due to the inherent design of the machine, the health benefits by far outweigh any problems that MOST people will endure.

Ride on.

Respectfully,
pedal.there

Sorry to hear you're sticking your finger in your rectum. Thats very unfortunate. :p

Am 75 years old. Pedaled over a quarter million miles. Definitely do not have ED. Yup, got prostate cancer and told doctor I was not interested in surgery; had brachytheraphy (seed implants). Am fine and no ED.
So pedal on!

As I was talking to my LBS earlier today, the salesperson was telling me that a seat not fitted properly can cause a prostate to enlarge. Is that true?

Enlarged prostrate? Is that a good thing? Does size really matter?:eek:

If you ride with your seat adjusted like this it might cause prostate problems:

You don't have much choice when you ride with the seat slammed all the way down like that. If you set the seat horizontally and try to sit down you'll keep sliding forward and wind up putting all your weight on your junk. At least with it tilted back at a sharp angle like that you're sitting on your sit-bones, where you're meant to be sitting.

BMX saddles are necessarily mean to be sat upon. Its not for commuting or century rides. I used to run mine like that so I could grab the seat and the grip with one hand (for tricks).



If you ride with your seat adjusted like this it might cause prostate problems:

http://www.interbmx.com/img/0705/InterBMX.com.2828.19.074647.jpg

I have an enlarged prostate and I ride every day. I replaced the stock seat ( IMO and instrument of torture) with a softer, wider seat that spreads more weight.I have found no problems or discomfort at all. Does it cause an enlarged prostate? Don't think so. Mostly age does that. But not getting regular exercise is more harmful by far.

Sorry to hear you're sticking your finger in your rectum. Thats very unfortunate. :p

I was referring to the digital rectal exam (DRE). Based on your post, it isn't something I would guess you will have to deal with for a number of years... :)

I was referring to the digital rectal exam (DRE). Based on your post, it isn't something I would guess you will have to deal with for a number of years... :)

Haha, no i just thought it was funny, and i went back and read my post and made myself laugh really hard.

And no, I wont be needing a prostate exam for a good 30 years, for I am only 17 years old.

So this past Sunday I go out with my buddies to test out my new CX bike. Lotsa fun and I bounced around a lot over roots, rocks, etc.
Monday - was feeling a little "off" and decided to not do our regular recovery ride.
Tuesday- Awoke with a fever, took a couple of tylenol and all seemed well until that first pee of the morning... OMG! I thought I was pissing Hydrochloric Acid! Fever got worse, painful peeing got worse, felt like CaCa the rest of the night... 101+ degrees of fever, frequent need to pee but hardly anything came out.
Wednesday - Booked early appt. w/ the Dr. Yep - Urinary Tract Infection and swelling of the prostate - (typical side effect of UTI's) Felt better after first 2 rounds of antibiotics.
So today is Thursday - fever's gone now that the antibiotics have kicked in but I'm anxious about what has caused this??? Is my cycling career over? Is it just a fluke? The Dr. said that UTI's are rare in males and I go for a follow-up visit in 2 weeks. I'm thinking about booking a visit with a Urologist as well just ti get a 2nd/more detailed opinion.

The reason I'm laying out the time line here is not to bore you with the gory details but in hopes that my story may be similar to others (I dearly hope not!) and to get a read on weather this is directly or indirectly related to cycling or not.

Bummer! I've got my 8th century of the season scheduled for this Saturday, Spin class tomorrow and CX season starting in 2 weeks!

Any advice from Doctors (or non-Doctors) who may/may not have stayed in Holiday Inns would certainly be appreciated!

Well, I guess you felt you had to revive a dead thread considering your circumstances and that's OK.
I'm not a doctor but am a nurse but I can't really say what may have caused your UTI. Probably coincidental that it followed a vigorous ride. Can't say. Follow-up with your doctor and grill him. If things don't resolve or you have a recurrence, then a urologist visit might be reasonable.
My opinion, however, is that it's time to start looking for a recumbent.;) (That's my default advice)

A couple of years ago, my doctor started telling me that my prostate was slightly enlarged and he recommended saw palmetto. I have been taking a supplement with saw palmetto daily ever since that time.

Last December I increased my bicycle riding when I switched from fair weather recreational riding to regular commuting. At this year's annual checkup, my doctor said my prostate was normal (as in NOT enlarged).

Draw whatever conclusions you like. I intend to keep on taking the saw palmetto AND commuting by bicycle.

So this past Sunday I go out with my buddies to test out my new CX bike. Lotsa fun and I bounced around a lot over roots, rocks, etc.
Monday - was feeling a little "off" and decided to not do our regular recovery ride.
Tuesday- Awoke with a fever, took a couple of tylenol and all seemed well until that first pee of the morning... OMG! I thought I was pissing Hydrochloric Acid! Fever got worse, painful peeing got worse, felt like CaCa the rest of the night... 101+ degrees of fever, frequent need to pee but hardly anything came out.
Wednesday - Booked early appt. w/ the Dr. Yep - Urinary Tract Infection and swelling of the prostate - (typical side effect of UTI's) Felt better after first 2 rounds of antibiotics.
So today is Thursday - fever's gone now that the antibiotics have kicked in but I'm anxious about what has caused this??? Is my cycling career over? Is it just a fluke? The Dr. said that UTI's are rare in males and I go for a follow-up visit in 2 weeks. I'm thinking about booking a visit with a Urologist as well just ti get a 2nd/more detailed opinion.

The reason I'm laying out the time line here is not to bore you with the gory details but in hopes that my story may be similar to others (I dearly hope not!) and to get a read on weather this is directly or indirectly related to cycling or not.

Bummer! I've got my 8th century of the season scheduled for this Saturday, Spin class tomorrow and CX season starting in 2 weeks!

Any advice from Doctors (or non-Doctors) who may/may not have stayed in Holiday Inns would certainly be appreciated!

24 years ago, when I was 24 years old, I bought a new bike and had almost the identical experience. Pain, fever, urologist, UTI, big prostate, antibiotics. Doc said lay off the bike until the infection clears. The pills took 90 percent of the problem away. But every time I would start riding the discomfort would come back, less severe, but enough to be a problem. Finally when I called for like the third refill of the pills the nurse said, honey, try laying off the coffee and drinking lots of water and cranberry juice. If that doesn't knock it out call for more pills. That did finally slowly knock it out and I could ride no problem.

Fast forward to this year. New bike, bang! UTI. This time before it got out of hand I went straight to the home remedy. Knocked it out and I could slowly build up to unlimited riding. It's almost as if my urinary tract had to get used to the new saddles just like the rest of your hind side has to. In my case though both bikes came after a long period of not riding. Anyway, that's my experience. I'm not a doctor but draw from it what you will.

Well, I am a physician, and I would suggest your LBS 'advice' is a load of crap. You sit on your 'sit bones' and -- depending on your seat -- put pressure on the blood supply to your penis or labia [leading to ED, for example], but you certainly aren't putting any pressure on your prostate, and definitely aren't making it enlarged. Period.

My urologist was a crew doctor for the "ride across america" a few years back, and according to the other Doc's I've asked he's one of the best in the business. So he knows dick about biking, or should I say he knows about biking and dick.

He basically told me the same thing. Prostate is not affected. But good bike fit is important to avoiding all manner of malady's not just in your man business.

Most of us guys in our 50s begin to pay more attention to prostate issues. All it takes is a buddy telling you the details about a prostate operation to send you running to your doc for a complete health checkup and getting a blood test including PSA ratio. And you get that done once a year, and the doc gives you a free rubber glove inspection too. All you want to hear is three words, "prostate is normal". And you learn your numbers too, my PSA has held steady at around 1.21 for 8 years.

90 percent of my bike riding miles are from commuting. Those rides are typically a total of 25 to 30 miles a day, 5 days a week. That's roughly 1 3/4 to a bit over 2 hours a day of pedaling, divided in half for the morning ride and the evening ride. My typical suburban route includes a few red lights where I stop and wait a minute or two for the green. I don't ride with clipless pedals so I simply put both my feet on the ground and stand over the top tube while waiting for the light to turn green. This takes pressure off my rear end for a minute or two several times during the 1 hour commute ride and helps everything in that department to relax a bit before pedaling off again. A well adjusted Brooks saddle helps too.

The reason I'm laying out the time line here is not to bore you with the gory details but in hopes that my story may be similar to others (I dearly hope not!) and to get a read on weather this is directly or indirectly related to cycling or not.


I had a similar ongoing problem with prostatitis and at least one UTI over a period of around eight months. I'm 37 (was 35 at the time). I had a lot of symptoms that were first diagnosed as possible kidney stones, then later my doctor confirmed a swollen prostate (it didn't seem swollen to him when the other symptoms started). I also felt like I was sitting on a walnut sometimes. I was put on a course of antibiotics for a short time, but things didn't get completely better. I had issues off and on for many months after that... and when it got really bad I was put on antibiotics for a couple of months I think. Knock on wood but I haven't had any issues since. I read or heard many doctors and cyclists say that the cycling wouldn't be a factor... but the condition might make cycling less comfortable. It seems to me that cycling might have exacerbated the problem at least during the time I had the UTI, but I don't really know. I didn't stop cycling except for weeks when I was really sick, but I did cut my mileage back quite a bit. Eventually the symptoms all went away (I think the long period of antibiotics helped), and hopefully it will not be a chronic condition. Since then I've been riding mostly low mileage (not for health reasons, but we recently moved and things have been insanely busy). I commute by bicycle though, so while it's low mileage I do ride at least a few times a week. So far so good. I have a comfortable saddle (broken in Brooks B-17) on my main bike, and I've considered the Selle Anatomica or the Brooks Imperial (both have a cut-out, but I don't know if the Brooks is available yet for retail). I don't know if those cutouts are really necessary or not, so I'm not going to give up my B-17; but if you have a saddle that leaves you numb or uncomfortable on a long ride that can't be good for the overall health down there.

Sean

<--- yes a doctor.
BPH, Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy is an extemely common age related enlargment of the prostate. It usually presents with decreased urine flow since the prostate sits at the base of the bladder and the urethra flows directly through the prostate. Enlargment of the prostate constricts the urethra and decreases urine flow. I've never seen any information that suggests or supports the idea that cycling causes BPH. I do believe cycling could induce prostatits. Hope this helps.

I too am worried about any long term sexual/ health effects riding will have. I am only 19 but it is still on my mind.
I just want to loose weight and have fun riding my bike! grr! NOT worry about my man parts!

This seems too simple, but saddles have the biggest impact on the comfort of your prostrate. All saddles were clearly not created equal.

Some young dudes can ride iron saddles padded with volcanic rocks. However, once a feller turns about twenty years old or so, things change...

I have ridden many dozens of different saddles. My favorite still are leather springer saddles.

A couple of weeks ago, I made the mistake of riding a rigid plastic Sella Italia on a 60 mile ride. Every bump in the road was an @ss pounding. By mile 30, I felt like a fair-skinned convict in a Russian prison.

My family was meeting me at a park for a picnic and I had to call and beg them to bring another saddle so I could finish the ride.

Before getting too discouraged with bicycling, experiment with different saddles - and experiment with pointing the nose of the saddle down a little more each time until if feels ideal.

The saddle soluting beats pills that the doctor will give you.

My urologist rides more than I do.

If you're getting urinary tract infections and you're male, make sure you get your doc to see if you have urinary retention. This affects a large number of people who never know it's happening. And it's one of the largest causes of UTIs in men.

Az

I too am worried about any long term sexual/ health effects riding will have. I am only 19 but it is still on my mind.
I just want to loose weight and have fun riding my bike! grr! NOT worry about my man parts!

Never too young to "Start looking for a recumbent".

I'm 65 and my prostate is enlarged and I have the usual symptoms that go with that condition. I think it is called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or BPH. I often notice a reduction in symptoms after a long ride. Possibly, the long seat time results in some sort of prostate massage. Reportedly, urologists sometimes perform this procedure (without the bike seat) although I don't know the particulars.

I am suffering from angry prostate as well. Too much riding on a saddle that I did not have adjusted properly. My fault. So now I am on antibiotics, sucks cause I do not believe in drugs, but no other choice. So what can be done to lessen symptoms. I was desperate, so I put some BioFreeze on my finger, and smeared it all around down under. I have to say the initial sensation was... umm...hot. haha but after it cooled down...definite relief from symptoms!!!! So go for it!!!

My guess is that the only way bicycling can cause prostate issues is if your cycling time is cutting into your "quality" relationship time. ;) :D

Prostate is an internal organ, within your pelvis, thats why the basic test
other than the PSA blood test, is a finger up your backside, to reach inside your hipbone,