Sitting is not just sitting: Our buttocks feel great on the office chair all day long, but at the end of the day we only pedal for a single hour until our bum hurts despite the high-tech saddle. What makes the difference? "While the weight is mainly borne by large muscles and the connective tissue on the buttocks and thighs when sitting in everyday life, the pressure when cycling is concentrated on a few square centimetres of sensitive soft tissue," explains Dr Stefan Staudte, urologist, bike expert and sports physician from Munich. This sensitive region of our body is naturally used for pleasure and reproduction, among other things. It is not designed for constant pressure and friction during a bike ride.
Nevertheless, seat discomfort is not an automatic part of cycling. Those affected should be attentive to their body's signals during the tour. "The more precisely cyclists localise and describe their complaints, the easier it is to find individual solutions," says Dr Staudte, who has set up a special weekly consultation for cyclists with seat complaints.
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