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Women are at risk as well, and susceptible to vaginal nerve damage. But you don’t necessarily have to give up riding to avoid cycling-related erectile problems. Consider these changes you can make: • Ride a recumbent bicycle. A German study found that riding a conventional bicycle caused a dramatic (though temporary) drop in oxygen supply to the penis, but that riding a recumbent bicycle did not. 42 © 2006 by ActionEbook.com. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication or distribution of any part of this publication without expressed, written consent is prohibited. • Wear padded biking shorts for extra protection. • Raise the handlebars so that you’re sitting relatively upright. This position will shift the pressure away from the perineum to the buttocks. • Change your bicycle seat (saddle). Narrow seats place the most pressure on the perineum. A wide, well-padded bicycle seat will better absorb the impact of the ride. A gel- filled seat is an excellent choice. Recent desig n changes also relieve the horn area, eliminating pressure on the perineum. This style is available in a wide variety of designs. Position the seat so that it puts minimal pressure on the perineum. Make sure the seat is not so high that your legs are fully extended at the bottom of your pedal stroke. Don’t tilt the seat up. • If you feel tingling or numbness in your penis, stop riding for a week or two and consult your physician as appropriate. These are warning signs that your bike ride could lead to erectile problems. Even if you don’t feel any warning symptoms, it’s a good idea to change your position and take breaks during long rides.

Drug abuse – amphetamines, barbituates, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, methadone, and other mind-altering drugs have been reported to cause erectile dysfunction. Fatigue – physical exhaustion can result in ED. High fat diet – known to lead to elevated cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, and vascular disease, all of which are ED risk factors. Marijuana use - Long-term marijuana use suppresses the production of hormones that help regulate the reproductive system. For men, this can cause decreased sperm counts. Very heavy users can experience erectile dysfunction. Smoking – Tobacco smoke is a mixture of gases and small particles of water, tar and nicotine. The tar consists of hundreds of toxic chemicals, many of which are known to cause cancer (e.g., nitrosamines, benzpyrene). Harmful gases in tobacco smoke include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and other toxic irritants – formaldehyde and acrolein among them. A cigarette burns at high temperatures (over 1400°F or 800°C), cranking out many more noxious chemicals than are found in non-burning tobacco or ingested by use of smokeless tobacco (e.g., snuff contains no tar or gases). More than 4,000 chemical compounds have been identified in tobacco smoke. The health risks of smoking have long been known, but a direct link to ED was established by study findings released by the American Heart Association in March, 2006: • Men who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a 60% higher risk of erectile dysfunction, compared to men who never smoked. • 15% of the past and present smokers had experienced erectile dysfunction. • Men who currently - and formerly—smoked were about 30% more likely to suffer from impotence. • Among men who had never smoked, 12% had erection problems.