title: Women's bike seats: a pressing matter for competitive female cyclists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are numerous genital complaints in women cyclists, including pain, numbness, and edema of pelvic floor structures. Debate ensues about the best saddle design for protection of the pelvic floor.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationships between saddle design, seat pressures, and genital nerve function in female, competitive cyclists.
  
  
  METHODS
  We previously compared genital sensation in healthy, premenopausal, competitive women bicyclists and runners. The 48 cyclists from our original study comprise the study group in this subanalysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Main outcome measures were: (i) genital vibratory thresholds (VTs) determined using the Medoc Vibratory Sensation Analyzer 3000 and (ii) saddle pressures as determined using a specially designed map sensor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than half of the participants (54.8%) used traditional saddles, and the remainder (45.2%) rode with cut-out saddles. On bivariate analysis, use of traditional saddles was associated with lower mean perineal saddle pressures (MPSP) than riding on cut-out saddles. Peak perineal saddle pressures (PPSP) were also lower; however, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Saddle design did not affect mean or peak total saddle pressures (MTSP, PTSP). Saddle width was significantly associated with PPSP, MTSP, and PTSP but not with MPSP. Women riding cut-out saddles had, on average, a 4 and 11 kPa increase in MPSP and PPSP, respectively, compared with women using traditional saddles (P = 0.008 and P = 0.010), after adjustment for other variables. Use of wider saddles was associated with lower PPSP and MTSP after adjustment. Although an inverse correlation was seen between saddle pressures and VTs on bivariate analysis, these differences were not significant after adjusting for age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cut-out and narrower saddles negatively affect saddle pressures in female cyclists. Effects of saddle design on pudendal nerve sensory function were not apparent in this cross-sectional analysis. Longitudinal studies evaluating the long-term effects of saddle pressure on the integrity of the pudendal nerve, pelvic floor, and sexual function are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. marsha.guess@yale.edu
authors.forename: Marsha K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Guess
authors.forename: Sarah N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Partin
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: LaCombe
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reutman
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toennis
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Melman
authors.forename: Madgy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikhail
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Connell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D010502:Perineum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation; D011312:Pressure; D014732:Vibration