Cycling during Radiation

User

Posted 02 Feb 2025 at 22:38

My prostate removed 2017. Now looking at radiation on prostate bed 35 treatments. I ride road bikes 60 km 20kph 73 .5 yrs old. I have read some things saying no bike riding during treatment. That is a huge thing to give up. Is this really necessary. Is there a saddle that would allow riding. Do not want noseless.

User

Posted 03 Feb 2025 at 09:32

That's an impressive amount of biking! I only had radiotherapy so still have my prostate. I biked to work during my treatment. And only stopped on days when biking would have made it tricky to get to the appointment on time, or it was raining (I've very much a fair weather rider!)

My bike is a road bike, I didn't change my saddle, I was never advised not to bike

User

Posted 03 Feb 2025 at 17:34

Ask your RT team at your planning scan..they will keep your right. If they give you the ok to cycle I would take an emergency kit with you as during the treatment you might suffer from urgency to pee/poo. I had a couple of distressing accidents when I was out walking and just couldn’t reach the bushes quick enough.

it passed quickly though but I still carry the kit on my bike or when out walking.

User

Posted 03 Feb 2025 at 21:41

I certainly wasn't advised not to cycle during salvage RT, and in fact I cycled to the hospital for the first threequarters of the treatment. For the last week though (it was a 20 fraction/4 week treatment) I had a big drop in energy levels and used the car instead.

It took about a month after the end of treatment before I felt able to resume normal exercise levels (though to be fair my cycling level, using a hybrid, is rather below yours).

User

Posted 15 Mar 2025 at 16:24

My doctor told me, cycling makes the side affects worse during treatment but won't cause any long term issues.

It pushes on the bladder, bladder tract

No cycling 5 days prior to follow up analytical

User

Posted 15 Mar 2025 at 21:13

I think what you are saying is that PSA values can be raised following exercise like cycling - and obviously the doctors following your progress don't want to be misled by a rise due to exercise not cancer.

I'm not sure whether this post 6 weeks after the last means you are now having RT and continuing cycling, in which case excellent and good luck.

User

Posted 16 Mar 2025 at 03:17

I cycled pretty much every day during radiotherapy. I was doing this as far as possible all during my hormone therapy to reduce the hormone therapy side effects, although I'd been a cyclist for a couple of decades at that point, so it wasn't something I just started.

Only afterwards did I discover that exercising during radiotherapy improves radiotherapy outcomes. Radiotherapy works best when tissues are well oxygenated.

I did buy a noseless saddle, so there was no way to sit on my perineum. It only has a seat (which is well padded) under your sit-bones (pelvis), so you can't sit on the penile bulb, which is what causes ED for lots of cyclists (even with saddles which have an indentation there). I still use these today, years after my treatment. They do take a few rides to get used to and adjusted correctly. It looks like this, although I bought mine on Amazon, but the Amazon price has rocketed since then.

User

Posted 16 Mar 2025 at 22:40

During my RT the skin on my rectum became sore and I had to lightly dab on a cream the Radiographers suggested. In my case I am sure it would have irritated the affected area so I rejected the cycle I was offered by the owner of the place where I stayed.

Edited by member 18 Mar 2025 at 06:56 | Reason: spelling

Barry

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