The force output of handle and pedal in different bicycle-riding postures

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyse the force output of handle and pedal as well as the electromyography (EMG) of lower extremity in different cycling postures. Bilateral pedalling asymmetry indices of force and EMG were also determined in this study. Twelve healthy cyclists were recruited for this study and tested for force output and EMG during steady state cycling adopting different pedalling and handle bar postures. The standing posture increased the maximal stepping torque (posture 1: 204.2 ± 47.0 Nm; posture 2: 212.5 ± 46.1 Nm; posture 3: 561.5 ± 143.0 Nm; posture 4: 585.5 ± 139.1 Nm), stepping work (posture 1: 655.2 ± 134.6 Nm; posture 2: 673.2 ± 116.3 Nm; posture 3: 1852.3 ± 394.4 Nm; posture 4: 1911.3 ± 432.9 Nm), and handle force (posture 1: 16.6 ± 3.6 N; posture 2: 16.4 ± 3.6 N; posture 3: 26.5 ± 8.2 N; posture 4: 41.4 ± 11.1 N), as well as muscle activation (posture 1: 13.6-25.1%; posture 2: 13.0-23.9%; posture 3: 23.6-61.8%; posture 4: 22.5-65.8%) in the erector spine, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and soleus. However, neither a sitting nor a standing riding posture affected the hamstring. The riding asymmetry was detected between the right and left legs only in sitting conditions. When a cyclist changes posture from sitting to standing, the upper and lower extremities are forced to produce more force output because of the shift in body weight. These findings suggest that cyclists can switch between sitting and standing postures during competition to increase cycling efficiency in different situations. Furthermore, coaches and trainers can modify sitting and standing durations to moderate cycling intensity, without concerning unbalanced muscle development.

Bio-mechanical aspects of elite cyclists’ motor system adaptation in process of competition activity

“…At finish effectiveness of cyclists resulting forces increases [27]. Our results concord well with other data and are confirmed by them [2,3,6].…”

“…Besides, in this work the authors determined indicators of bilateral asymmetry of pedaling force and EMG. These results show that cyclists can "re-switch" between sitting and standing positions during competitions, for increasing race efficiency in different situations [6]; Professional cyclists increase pulling force in the phase of recreation for sustaining the same output power [12]; Effectiveness of cycling is influenced by profiles of foot angle. This factor is one of the most important and directly correlates with effective force, applied to bicycle [32].…”

Power output, cadence, and torque are similar between the forward standing and traditional sprint cycling positions

“…Changing from a seated to a standing position alters recruitment patterns, and it increases muscle activation in both upper and lower body muscles. [12][13][14][15] For example, Li and colleagues 12 showed an increase in electromyography (EMG) magnitude of the rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, and the tibialis anterior in the standing position. Furthermore, the gluteus maximus, rectus femoris, and vastus lateralis were longer activated during the pedal stroke.…”

“…12 This altered muscle recruitment patterns, and it increased muscle activation in both upper and lower body muscles. [12][13][14][15] As a result of this, cyclists can produce higher power outputs in the standing position when compared with a seated position in both endurance/uphill cycling [15][16][17] and sprinting. 18,19 For example, greater mean power output was observed during 8 seconds sprints in a standing position, compared with a seated position in both recreational (966.7 vs 867.0 W, respectively) and elite cyclo-cross cyclists (1010.5 vs 891.8 W, respectively).…”

Numerical optimization and analysis on vibration characteristics of bicycles based on the novel CA-PSO algorithm

“…During riding, a bicycle bears large alternating force for a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to study its force bearing process [7][8][9][10][11][12].…”