There are many ways of fitness, walking, running, yoga, tai chi, pilates and cycling are the best aerobic exercise to lose weight and burn fat. Aerobic exercise can promote metabolism in the body, speed up the consumption of sugar and fat, promote the excretion of uric acid, and enhance the cardiopulmonary function.
Cycling is a good exercise, Health Times article pointed out that cycling can improve people's physical fitness, protect the heart and so on. At the same time, it is recommended that the pedaling frequency is about 60 to 80 times per minute. Each ride should have at least 20 minutes of high frequency and low speed (that is, more laps and less force) warm up, so that the body can sweat slightly.
Knowing which muscles to use while cycling can make a huge difference to your health and help prevent injury. After all, as anyone who has ridden a bike knows, cycling is a challenging exercise that can push your heart rate to its maximum if you work hard enough. The most obvious side effect of hard riding, however, is a burning sensation in the legs.
What muscles does cycling exercise?
The quadriceps
According to research in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, the muscles of the lateralis and medialis femoris muscles are most activated during the first half of the propulsion phase, which is when the crank assembly is high on the bike's pedals - from the top dead center, or a 0° Angle, to the bottom, or 180 degrees.
The study, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, found that the peak activation point of the two vastii muscles was 80.8°, so less than half of the propulsive part of the pedal pedal was in motion. According to the study, the rectus femoris muscle, located in the middle of the front of the thigh, is activated earlier than vastii.
A lot of people, especially those who are regular cyclists and experienced, will keep their feet fixed to the pedals, using clip-free pedals or more old-fashioned toe clips.
At least one study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, found that stepping on the pedal changes the way the rectus femoris muscle is activated: a study in the journal found that when riders used toe clips, When you pedal, that muscle activates 20 degrees ahead of schedule.
Hamstring muscle
The hamstrings in the back of the thigh are another major muscle group used when cycling, and they work closely with the quadriceps. A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology evaluated the use of muscles in different parts of the pedal during pedaling and concluded: "During pedaling, in order to generate force during pedaling, Quadriceps and hamstring supplements are ideal."
"These muscle groups have been described as having different roles at different stages of pedal movement, and different muscles within these muscle groups can also be hypothesized to have different functional contributions."
As expected, hamstrings are activated mainly in the later stages of pedaling. The study found that the semimembranes and semitendinosus muscles - two of the three hamstrings - were activated between 150° and 270° at the crank Angle. According to a study published in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, a third hamstring muscle, the biceps femoris, is used in all stages of the pedaling motion.
Tibialis anterior muscle
According to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, the tibialis anterior muscle - what Wake Forest School of Medicine calls "the largest of the four muscles in the anterior chamber of the leg" - is one of the "essential muscles" used in cycling. It's along your calf.
A study in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy found that the anterior tibial muscle is the only calf muscle activated during the first half of the pedal action, before the crank reaches 180°.
However, despite its "significant" role in pedal strokes, the study by experts in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine found that the tibialis anterior muscle is less active than when walking - meaning that cycling causes less stress here than other activities. "Cycling may be a beneficial rehabilitation exercise for patients with anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament of the knee, or Achilles tendon injuries," the researchers wrote.
How important is stretching after cycling?
As we have seen, cycling requires the use of a wide variety of muscles, pedaling in different ways and at different points. Experts have also shown that many of these muscles work in tandem with each other, especially the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups. Since these muscles are fully utilized, it may be a good idea to help them recover properly. So how important is stretching after a bike ride?
First, it's worth noting that static stretching before cycling - or most forms of movement - is now considered bad practice. According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching cold muscles can lead to injury, not reduce the likelihood of injury.
The Mayo Clinic also cites a study that found "stretching before exercise may actually reduce athletic performance." Studies have also shown that stretching before a race can weaken the hamstrings." This is especially important given the importance of the hamstrings to cycling.
Dynamic warm-up is recommended. As the experts write in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, "static stretching in warm-up exercises has shifted to a greater emphasis on dynamic stretching," in which your warm-up exercises stretch muscles simultaneously.
Few studies have looked specifically at stretching after riding, but a study conducted by researchers at the University of Medical Sciences in Pozna, Poland, found an association between stretching and injury prevention. In addition to warming up, stretching after cycling is "recommended" to prevent a recurrence of muscle pain, the researchers said.
