Editing Cycling (section)

===Overuse injuries===
Of a study of 518 cyclists, a large majority reported at least one overuse injury, with over one third requiring medical treatment. The most common injury sites were the neck (48.8%) and the knees (41.7%), as well as the groin/buttocks (36.1%), hands (31.1%), and back (30.3%). Women were more likely to suffer from neck and shoulder pain than men.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1055/s-2007-972992 |pmid=7649713 |title=An Epidemiological Analysis of Overuse Injuries Among Recreational Cyclists |journal=International Journal of Sports Medicine |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=201–6 |year=2007 |last1=Wilber |first1=C. |last2=Holland |first2=G. |last3=Madison |first3=R. |last4=Loy |first4=S. |s2cid=8240258}}</ref>

Many cyclists suffer from overuse injuries to the knees, affecting cyclists at all levels. These are caused by many factors:<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.biomech.com/db_area/archives/1996/9607sports.bio.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928070212/http://www.biomech.com/db_area/archives/1996/9607sports.bio.html |archive-date=28 September 2007 |title=Knee Pain in Cycling: New Twist on an old Injury |publisher=BioMechanics |date=July–August 1996 |access-date=24 November 2006}}</ref>
*Incorrect bicycle fit or adjustment, particularly the saddle.
*Incorrect adjustment of clipless pedals.
*Too many hills, or too many miles, too early in the training season.
*Poor training preparation for long touring rides.
*Selecting too high a gear. A lower gear for uphill climb protects the knees, even though muscles may be well able to handle a higher gear.

Overuse injuries, including chronic nerve damage at weight bearing locations, can occur as a result of repeatedly riding a bicycle for extended periods of time. Damage to the [[ulnar nerve]] in the palm, [[carpal tunnel syndrome|carpal tunnel]] in the wrist, the genitourinary tract<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.eururo.2004.10.024 |pmid=15716187 |title=The Vicious Cycling: Bicycling Related Urogenital Disorders |journal=European Urology |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=277–86; discussion 286–7 |year=2005 |last1=Leibovitch |first1=Ilan |last2=Mor |first2=Yoram}}</ref> or [[bicycle seat neuropathy]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.emedicine.com/SPORTS/topic12.htm |title=Bicycle Seat Neuropathy, follow up |publisher=[[eMedicine]] |date=8 February 2006 |access-date=20 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060217232945/http://www.emedicine.com/sports/topic12.htm |archive-date=17 February 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> may result from overuse. [[Recumbent bicycle]]s are designed on different [[ergonomics|ergonomic]] principles and eliminate pressure from the saddle and handlebars, due to the relaxed riding position.

Note that overuse is a relative term, and capacity varies greatly between individuals. Someone starting out in cycling must be careful to increase length and frequency of cycling sessions slowly, starting for example at an hour or two per day, or a hundred miles or kilometers per week. Bilateral muscular pain is a normal by-product of the training process, whereas unilateral pain may reveal "exercise-induced arterial endofibrosis".<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=15233595 |year=2004 |last1=Abraham |first1=P. |title=Past, present and future of arterial endofibrosis in athletes: A point of view |journal=Sports Medicine |volume=34 |issue=7 |pages=419–25 |last2=Bouyé |first2=P |last3=Quéré |first3=I |last4=Chevalier |first4=J. M. |last5=Saumet |first5=J. L. |s2cid=33730384 |doi=10.2165/00007256-200434070-00001}}</ref> Joint pain and numbness are also early signs of overuse injury.

A Spanish study of top [[triathlete]]s found those who cover more than 186 miles (300&nbsp;km) a week on their bikes have less than 4% normal looking [[sperm]], where normal adult males would be expected to have from 15% to 20%.<ref name="bmj.com"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Wilkinson |first=Emma |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8124458.stm |title=BBC: Elite cyclists 'risk infertility' |work=BBC News |date=29 June 2009 |access-date=6 June 2012}}</ref>