Saddle Pressures Factors in Road and Off-Road Cyclists of Both Genders: A Narrative Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Saddle Pressures Measurement
4. High Saddle Pressures and Risk of Injury
5. Influence of Sitting Time on the Bike on Saddle Pressures
6. Influence of Pedaling Intensity on Saddle Pressures
7. Influence of Pedaling Frequency on Saddle Pressures
8. Influence of Trunk Position and Hand Position on Saddle Pressures
9. Influence of Handlebars Position on Saddle Pressures
10. Influence of Saddle Design on Saddle Pressures
11. Influence of Saddle Height on Saddle Pressures
12. Influence of Padded Shorts on Saddle Pressures
13. Muscle Activity and Saddle Pressures
14. Gender Differences on Saddle Pressures
15. Road vs. Off-Road Cyclists: Difference in Saddle Pressures
16. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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First Author | Year | Measurements | Main Results |
---|---|---|---|
Influence of pedaling on saddle pressures | |||
Carpes, F.P. [33] | 2009 | Influence of 2 different pedaling intensities (150 W and 300 W) on saddle pressures in male and female cyclists. | The mean pressure increased with increasing pedaling intensity in males. Furthermore, using the holed saddle, the mean pressure increased with increasing pedaling intensity, regardless of gender. |
Bressel, E. [34] | 2005 | Influence of different pedaling intensities (118 W and 300 ± 82.4 W) with different hand position (tops and drops) on saddle pressures in male and female cyclists. | The pressures decreased over most regions of the saddle at higher pedaling intensities and drop hand position. |
Influence of saddle on saddle pressures | |||
Potter, J.J. [31] | 2008 | Influence of two saddle designs (gender-neutral and female-specific) with two different hand positions in female cyclists. | Using the female-specific saddle, the normalized maximum anterior pressure with drop hand position decreased compared to the gender-neutral saddle. No significant differences were found between saddles in the maximum pressure with tops hand position or in the posterior region with drop hand position. |
Carpes, F.P. [33] | 2009 | Influence of 2 saddle designs (plain saddle and holed saddle) at 2 pedaling intensities (150 W and 300 W) in male and female cyclists. | The saddle design had no effect on pressures, with the only significant difference found when the peak pressure was compared between the holed saddle and the plain saddle during a pedaling intensity of 150 W in females. |
Gámez, J. [35] | 2008 | Influence of three different saddle heights on comfort in cyclists (measuring saddle pressures). | The best level of comfort was the intermediate one; with this height, the peak pressure distribution and activation of lower limb muscles decreased. |
Verma, R. [36] | 2016 | Influence of five different saddle positions (neutral, upward, downward, forward, and backward) on comfort in cyclists (measuring saddle pressures). | The discomfort increased with upward and backward positions compared to neutral. The minimum force became less negative with forward position compared to neutral position. The degree of variability of CoP increased in the upward and backward position. |
Influence of handlebars on saddle pressures | |||
Partin, S.N. [37] | 2012 | Influence of three different handlebar-to-saddle heights (at saddle level, lower than saddle, or higher than saddle) on saddle pressures. | Low handlebar-to-saddle placement was associated with greater perineal saddle pressure. |
Influence of trunk position and hand position on saddle pressures | |||
Carpes, F.P. [13] | 2009 | Effects of two trunk positions (upright and forward) on the pressures exerted in two saddles with different designs. | No significant differences in saddles pressures between the two trunk positions in females. The forward position of the trunk led to lower pressures using the saddle with holes in males. |
Potter, J.J. [31] | 2008 | Influence of two hand positions (tops and drops) on saddle pressures. | From tops to drops hand position, the CoP moved forward, the normalized force and maximum pressure on the posterior region decreased. Only female cyclists showed an increased normalized force and maximum pressure in the anterior region. |
Bressel, E. [38] | 2003 | Influence of hand position (tops and drops) on saddle pressures. | With the cyclist forward on the handlebars (drops position), there was an undesirable anterior pressure at the perineum. |
Bressel, E. [34] | 2005 | Influence of hand position (tops and drops) on saddle pressures. | The drops hand position decreased saddle pressures in most regions. |
Influence of padded shorts on saddle pressures | |||
Marcolin, G. [23] | 2015 | Influence of three padded shorts with different densities (basic, intermediate, resistance) on saddle pressures. | The vertical force and mean pressure on the saddle significantly decreased using the basic and endurance padded shorts. The peak pressure on the perineal area significantly increased only using the basic padded shorts. |
Influence of sitting time on the bike on saddle pressures | |||
Bond, R.E. [39] | 1975 | Influence of sitting time or standing up on pedals on saddle pressures. | Often, pedaling standing up and taking breaks during pedaling are good habits to reduce saddle pressures and prevent the onset of urogenital pathologies. |
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Vicari, D.S.S.; Patti, A.; Giustino, V.; Figlioli, F.; Alamia, G.; Palma, A.; Bianco, A. Saddle Pressures Factors in Road and Off-Road Cyclists of Both Genders: A Narrative Review. J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2023, 8, 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8020071
Vicari DSS, Patti A, Giustino V, Figlioli F, Alamia G, Palma A, Bianco A. Saddle Pressures Factors in Road and Off-Road Cyclists of Both Genders: A Narrative Review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2023; 8(2):71. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8020071
Chicago/Turabian StyleVicari, Domenico Savio Salvatore, Antonino Patti, Valerio Giustino, Flavia Figlioli, Giuseppe Alamia, Antonio Palma, and Antonino Bianco. 2023. "Saddle Pressures Factors in Road and Off-Road Cyclists of Both Genders: A Narrative Review" Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 8, no. 2: 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8020071
APA StyleVicari, D. S. S., Patti, A., Giustino, V., Figlioli, F., Alamia, G., Palma, A., & Bianco, A. (2023). Saddle Pressures Factors in Road and Off-Road Cyclists of Both Genders: A Narrative Review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 8(2), 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8020071