Is cycling bad for your sex life? Let’s talk about... genital health

Long spells in the saddle can put pressure on our nether regions – but most of the risks can be prevented, here's how

genital health
(Image credit: Future)

It completely freaked me out,” says Sam Ford. “I’m young, I’m fit and healthy, I shouldn’t be getting erectile dysfunction (ED). Aches and pains are associated with sport and especially cycling, but getting two bouts of ED was like, ‘what the f**k is going on here’ – I panicked.” 

Ford (not his real name) has agreed to tell his story to help raise awareness of a problem that, though common, is rarely discussed. A competitive regional racer in his mid-20s, he started suffering dull testicular ache, urinary incontinence and the need to pee more frequently after increasing his training volume to between 20 and 25 hours a week during the first lockdown. On two occasions, he experienced problems getting an erection. “It was a low point because going to the doctor at my age about ED was not something I thought I’d have to do.” 

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