Bouncing Mountain Bikes Could Harm Scrotums?
Updated 7:59 AM ET December 2, 1999
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Mountain biking, the bouncing, off-road bicycle sport, may cause scrotum problems including benign tumors, swelling and pain, Austrian researchers reported on Tuesday.
"Bike seats with holes in them or shaped like a 'Y' to alleviate the pressure may help somewhat, as might wearing a jock strap or other support," said Ferdinand Frauscher of University Hospital in Innsbruck.
"But we think full-suspension bikes with shock systems, or those with shock absorbers in the seat are probably more beneficial in this case, because the bike, rather than the body, absorbs the shock," he added.
Frauscher and five colleagues released a study of 45 serious mountain bikers ranging in age from 17 to 44. They and a similar group of nonbiking men were given scrotal ultrasound examinations.
The study was released in Chicago during the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
The study found that 96 percent of the bikers had scrotal abnormalities compared to only 16 percent of the nonbikers.
The problems found among the bikers included often painful benign tumors, sperm-containing cysts which can cause infections, calcification of the sperm-storing epididymis, which can cause infection and swelling, and fluid-filled cysts called hydroceles.
Only half of the bikers in the study complained of pain or other symptoms. In most cases the problems ease with time off the bike and require no treatment, the study said.
Previous studies have found that long-distance bike riding can cause decreased sperm counts. The Austrian researchers said they did not check sperm counts in their study "but some of these changes may lead to fertility problems. Male impotence also may result, potentially brought on by damage to the nerves and blood vessels." |
