Our director of sports medicine, Dr. Andy Pruitt, who has decades of experience studying cycling ergonomics, is joined by cycling journalist and registered nurse Betsy Welch for a frank discussion about saddle sores, sexual dysfunction, and other female-specific saddle/chamois pathologies. They discuss both preventative measures as well as the longterm consequences.
The pair begins with an anatomy lesson, then discusses the different ways that saddle sores can develop, from ischemic pressure, air follicle irritation/infection, to abrasion/friction.
Next, they discuss female-specific pathologies, including vaginal and urinary discharge or leakage, vaginitis, urethritis, hygiene and grooming, and how that relates to saddle choice.
Finally, Pruitt and Welch detail the sexual dysfunctions that can arise from saddle-related pressure and pain, including transient genital numbness, clitoral numbness and scarring, and labial scarring and disfigurement.
