Cycling Infertility Myth
If you somehow have failed to read an article relating to cyclists risking infertility then I bet one of your work colleagues or a family member has mentioned this at some point in your triathlon/cycling career!
As with most stories of this nature, people have been quick to jump on the negatives. In a recent documented study, 15 triathletes with an average age of 33 had less than 10% normal looking sperm, compared with the 15-20% seen in the most fertile man.
The figures became significantly worse when distances of more that 186 miles were covered per week. The proportion of sperm that was the correct size and shape had fallen to 4 %, the point at which men may struggle to conceive without fertility treatment. How many triathletes do you know that ride in excess of 180 miles per week? Unless there going for Ironman, or full time pro’s!
Suggested reasons for this result are the heat from being in lycra, pressure and fiction on the saddle and the levels of cellular damage caused by the high levels of training. The choice of subject group were significant as triathletes, like time triallists, tend to sit lower and further forward on the nose of the saddle to achieve the aero position.
This position may add to the heat and the friction, and the group spent more time like this than a casual rider or a standard road racer. The other potential flaw in the study was that you don’t know what the subjects’ fertility was like before they took up competitive triathlon, so without knowing this significant figure it is impossible to place the blame on the sport.
There are steps you can take to improve your own fertility without having to give up cycling. Even reduced mileage doesn’t necessarily mean reduced performance if you are training correctly. A healthy diet high in antioxidant-rich fruit and veg has been shown to aid fertility. And, of course, your lifestyle off the bike is a major factor.
A healthy weight and not too much boozing (and smoking) will all contribute to keeping you in the best reproductive health!
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Tags: Triathlon General
