Which muscles are exercised by cycling? If you don't stretch after riding, you are prone to injury!

I remember that Wu Zun posted a photo of him attending a class reunion during the Spring Festival on Weibo, and it became a hot search immediately. Wu Zun in the photo doesn't look like a 40-year-old uncle, but a young man in his 20s. Wu Zun's way of keeping in shape is to exercise. He opened a gym and would go there whenever he had time. Sometimes he even acted as a fitness coach to teach others how to exert force correctly.

There are many ways to exercise. Walking, running, yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates and cycling are all the best aerobic exercises for losing weight and burning fat. Aerobic exercise can promote metabolism in the body, accelerate the consumption of sugar and fat, promote uric acid excretion, and help enhance cardiopulmonary function.

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Cycling is a good fitness activity. An article published in Health Times pointed out that cycling can improve people's physical fitness and protect the heart. It is also recommended that everyone pedal at a frequency of about 60 to 80 times per minute. Each ride should include at least 20 minutes of high-frequency and low-speed (i.e. more laps and less effort) warm-up to make the body sweat slightly.

Understanding which muscles you use when you ride a bike can have a huge impact on your health and help prevent injuries. After all, as anyone who has ridden a bike knows, cycling is a challenging workout that can push your heart rate to the max if you push it hard enough. However, the most obvious side effect of a hard ride is a burning sensation in your legs.

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Which muscles can be exercised by cycling?

Quadriceps

According to the study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles are most activated during the first half of the propulsive phase, which is when the crank assembly is elevated above the bicycle pedals -- from top dead center, or a 0° angle, to bottom out, or 180 degrees.

The study, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, found that the peak activation point for both vasti muscles was 80.8°, so less than halfway through the propulsive portion of the pedal stroke. The rectus femoris, located in the middle of the front thigh, was activated earlier than the vasti, according to the study.

Many people, especially regular and experienced cyclists, keep their feet fixed to the pedals, either with clipless pedals or the more old-fashioned toe clips. At least one study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine has found that pressing down on the pedals changes the way the rectus femoris is activated: One study in the journal found that when riders used toe clips, that muscle activated 20° earlier during a pedal stroke.

Hamstrings

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 different muscles during the pedal stroke and concluded that "recruitment of the quadriceps and hamstrings is ideal during the pedal stroke in order to generate force during the pedal stroke."

"These muscle groups have been described to have different roles during different phases of pedaling movement, and different muscles within these muscle groups can also be hypothesized to have different functional contributions."

As expected, the hamstrings are activated primarily during the late stages of the pedal stroke. The semimembranosus and semitendinosus — two of the three hamstring muscles — were found to be activated between crank angles of 150° and 270°. The third hamstring, the biceps femoris, is used during all phases of the pedal stroke, according to a study published in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology.

Tibialis anterior muscle

The tibialis anterior muscle — what Wake Forest School of Medicine calls "the largest of the four muscles in the anterior compartment of the leg" — is one of the "essential muscles" used in cycling, according to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. It runs along your calf.

A study in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy found that the anterior tibialis was the only calf muscle activated during the first half of the pedal stroke, before the crank reaches 180°.

However, despite its "important" role in pedal stroke, research by experts in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine found that the tibialis anterior muscle is less active than when walking - meaning cycling puts less stress on this area than other activities. "Cycling may be a useful rehabilitation exercise for patients with anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament of the knee, or Achilles tendon injuries," the researchers wrote.

How important is it to stretch after a ride?

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As we have seen, riding a bike requires the use of a wide variety of muscles, in different ways and at different points to push on the pedals. Experts have also shown that many of these muscles are used in conjunction with one another, especially the quadriceps and hamstring muscles. Since these muscles are put to good use, it might be a good idea to help them recover properly. So, how important is it to stretch after a bike ride?

First, it's worth noting that static stretching before cycling — or most forms of exercise — is now considered bad practice. According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching cold muscles can lead to injury, rather than reduce the likelihood of injury. The Mayo Clinic also cites a study that found that "stretching before exercise may actually reduce performance. Studies have also shown that stretching before competition can weaken hamstring strength." This is especially important given the importance of the hamstrings to cycling.

A dynamic warm-up is recommended. As experts write in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, "there has been a shift away from static stretching in warm-ups to a greater emphasis on dynamic stretching," in which your warm-up stretches your muscles at the same time.

Few studies have specifically looked at stretching after cycling, but one study conducted by researchers at the University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, Poland, found a link between stretching and injury prevention. The researchers said stretching after cycling, in addition to warming up, is "recommended" to prevent a recurrence of muscle pain.

Contributor: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd. This article is compiled from: Popular Science China, Health Times, Live Science "Which muscles are used when cycling?"
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