*Text courtesy IANS.

*Image courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images


The level of bicycle handlebars can affect genital sensation among female cyclists, according to a new research.

Researchers led by Marsha K. Guess of Yale University School of Medicine evaluated bicycle setup in terms of the link between the seat and the handlebars involving 48 competitive women cyclists.

They measured saddle pressures and sensation in the genital region to see if placing handlebars in different positions affects pressure and sensation in the genital region, The Journal of Sexual Medicine reports.

Results showed that placing the handlebar lower than the seat was tied with increased pressure on the genital region and decreased sensation, reducing the ability to detect vibration, according to an Yale statement.

"Modifying bicycle setup may help prevent genital nerve damage in female cyclists," Guess notes. "Chronic insult to the genital nerves from increased saddle pressures could potentially result in sexual dysfunction."

"There are a myriad of factors affecting women's sexual function. If women can minimise pressure application to the genital tissues merely by repositioning their handlebars higher, to increase sitting upright, then they are one step closer to maintaining their very important sexual health," explained Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.