MEN, it’s time to take a seat.
Experts have warned it could be better for men to pee sitting down, as research reveals British blokes are among the least likely to do so.
Peeing standing up could mean you’re not emptying your bladder properly – and you could be spreading harmful germs
A YouGov survey looking at men’s urination habits 13 countries ranked Brits the 11th least likely to sit every time, as just 24 per cent of Brits regularly have seated wee.
And 33 per cent of them adamant that they would never taking the weight off while their weed.
By comparison, so called ‘sitzpinklers’ – people who sit down to pee – made up 40 per cent of German men, where standing to urinate is considered antisocial due to bad aim and stray drops — and many public loos have signs telling men to sit.
American engineering professors conducting an investigation into ‘splashback’ found that urine droplets striking the toilet seat could catapult pee up to three metres away, possibly putting your toothbrush in the firing zone of harmful E. coli bacteria.
It’s not just hygiene related benefits that most British men are missing out on.
Dutch researchers at Leiden University Medical Centre previously found that sitting down could making it easier to empty the bladder fully and more quickly.
This is because taking a seat completely relaxes the muscles in your pelvis and spine and makes it easier to release your wee, whereas these muscles remain activated when you stand.
Dr Jesse N. Mills, Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA Department of Urology previously told Thrillist sitting allowed men to use their abdominal muscles more: “You get your last few squirts out and feel like you’ve emptied better.”
And according to Gerald Collins, a consultant urological surgeon at the Alexandra Hospital, sitting down to pee “is probably the most efficient way of doing it.”
It can be especially beneficial to men as they age, he told The Telegraph, due to a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which affects 80 per cent of men by the time they reach 80.
It occurs when the prostate gland and surrounding expands to obstruct the urethra – the tube that carries urine outside the body from the bladder – making peeing more difficult.
Men with BPH can develop bladder stones, urinary tract infections and even kidney infections if they do not empty their bladder fully.
“BPH occurs due to a change in the hormonal environment within the prostate, mainly from the early 40s onwards,” Collins said. “You get an increase in a certain breakdown product of testosterone which causes the prostate to increase its cell development and size. As a result of this, men start to find they can pee much better sitting down.”
Dr Mills said sitting down “is a better option for men with prostate conditions or men who just can’t stand up for a long time”.
He added: “When you’re sitting you’ve got better aim. If you’re sitting in the right place, then chances are you will get it in the right place.”
If you’re struggling to get that empty feeling then you should seek medical attention.