The Effect of Bicycle Riding on Serum Prostate Specific Antigen Levels

Abstract

We determined if bicycle riding causes an increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Baseline PSA levels were measured from all 260 volunteers before a 250-mile bicycle ride. After this 4-day race PSA was again measured and this level was compared to the pre-race levels. The overall change from baseline to post-race PSA in all 260 men was 0.069 ng./ml. The change for the 256 men with normal baseline PSA (0.0 to 4.0 ng./ml.) was 0.044 ng./ml. The 4 men with an already elevated PSA (more than 4.0 ng./ml.) showed a large change of 1.65 ng./ml. There is no statistically or clinically significant increase in PSA after bicycle riding. However, the few participants with an initially elevated PSA had an increase after bicycle riding, although this change does not represent the population and more research is warranted to define further its clinical implications.