Washington, Aug 8 (IANS) Noseless bicycle seats overcome deleterious health effects associated with existing seats, while enhancing penile sensation and erectibility, says a new study. Results of the study may be potentially useful for the five million recreational cyclists to alleviate perineal discomfort and maintain sexual health.

Ninety bicycling policemen from five metropolitan regions in the US using traditional seats were evaluated prior to changing them and again six months after the switchover to noseless seats.

Use of noseless seats resulted in a reduction in saddle contact pressure in the perineal region. There was a significant improvement in penile tactile sensation.

The percentage of policemen who indicated they had not experienced genital numbness while cycling for the preceding six months rose from 27 percent to 82, using no-nose seats.

Their use also resulted in significant increases in erectile function as assessed by the initial evaluation. But there were no significant changes noted in Rigiscan measures, a method used to record penile rigidity while the subject sleeps.

With few exceptions, bicycle policemen were able to effectively use no-nose seats and 97 percent of men completing the study continued to use the no-nose saddle afterward.

Steven Schrader of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati, co-author of the study, stated: “No-nose saddles are a useful intervention for bicycling policemen alleviating pressure to the groin and improving penis health.

“Different seat designs may require some re-learning of ‘how to ride a bicycle’, but the health benefits of having unrestricted vascular flow to and from the penis and less penile numbness is self-evident.”

Irwin Goldstein, director, Sexual Medicine, Alvarado Hospital, San Diego, wrote in an editorial that “for the first time, we have a prospective study of healthy policemen. Not only did their sensation improve, their erectile function also improved.

“Changing saddles changed physiology. This is a landmark study for our field that is important for future riders, and modification of lifestyle showing improvement without any active treatment.”

The study appeared in the August issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.