{"id":180769,"date":"2025-10-05T20:53:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T20:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/180769\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T20:53:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T20:53:16","slug":"even-soft-padded-bike-seats-may-put-a-brake-on-any-hopes-of-fatherhood-study-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/180769\/","title":{"rendered":"Even soft-padded bike seats may put a brake on any hopes of fatherhood, study warns"},"content":{"rendered":"

By VICTORIA ALLEN, SCIENCE EDITOR<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 21:02 EDT, 4 October 2025 | Updated: 21:04 EDT, 4 October 2025 <\/p>\n

Until now, it\u2019s been \u2018Mamils\u2019 (Middle Aged Men in Lycra) who have most had to worry about cycling putting a spoke in their love lives.<\/p>\n

Experts warned that those tight shorts could lead to lower sperm counts \u2013 and the razor-sharp saddles might not help, either.<\/p>\n

But there is worse news for the more occasional cyclist.<\/p>\n

This is because even a soft-padded bike seat may put a brake on any hopes of fatherhood, an in-depth study suggests.<\/p>\n

Men who cycle for three or more hours a week sitting on a \u2018comfort\u2019 bike seat are up to 25 per cent less likely to get their partner pregnant in a month of trying, compared to non-cyclists.<\/p>\n

And they may have more of a problem than the Mamils on their racing saddles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The padded seats squash a major artery supplying blood to the genitals, which affects temperature regulation in the testicles, say researchers, reducing sperm count and its quality.<\/p>\n

The soft seats may also cause erectile dysfunction.<\/p>\n

\"Men <\/p>\n

Men who cycle for three or more hours a week sitting on a \u2018comfort\u2019 bike seat are up to 25 per cent less likely to get their partner pregnant in a month of trying, compared to non-cyclists<\/p>\n

Researchers looked at 5,000 men in Denmark and North America, who completed questionnaires on physical activity and cycling, and tracked their partners for months to see if they got pregnant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Professor Lauren Wise, the lead author from Boston University, said: \u2018Cushioned bike seats, often using materials like foam, can compress the pudendal artery supplying blood to the genitals and may increase the temperature in that area.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘There\u00a0has not been much research… so it is premature to make public health recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u2018However, male cyclists who have had difficulty conceiving might consider cutting back on cycling.\u2019<\/p>\n

For the study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, men were asked the type of bike seat they used most \u2013 a \u2018soft, comfort seat\u2019 or \u2018hard, racing-style seat\u2019.<\/p>\n

Researchers took into account factors including men\u2019s age, sugary drink consumption, whether they smoked and how often they had sex.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was no evidence that cycling using a hard, racer-style saddle was linked with poorer male fertility.<\/p>\n

Professor Allan Pacey, from the University of Manchester, said: \u2018I can\u2019t explain why soft bicycle seats are more of a problem, but perhaps it relates to the type of cycling that people are doing.\u2019<\/p>\n

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