Cycling Biomechanics and Its Relationship to Performance

Turpin, Nicolas A.; Watier, Bruno

doi:10.3390/app10124112

Cited by 31 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…As bi-articular muscles spanning two joints, the gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis length changes are dependent upon both the knee and ankle joints (Kawakami et al, 1998 ). Foot position and changing saddle height can result in increased ankle plantarflexion and knee extension (Ercison et al, 1988 ; Turpin and Watier, 2020 ). In this study, factors such as cyclist seat height, ankle or knee joint positions, and range, and participation in additional exercise requiring gastrocnemius activity such as walking, were not explored as covariates that are very likely to be highly variable between participants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gastrocnemius Muscle Architecture in Elite Basketballers and Cyclists: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

May

Locke

Kingsley

2021

Front. Sports Act. Living

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Eccentric and concentric actions produce distinct mechanical stimuli and result in different adaptations in skeletal muscle architecture. Cycling predominantly involves concentric activity of the gastrocnemius muscles, while playing basketball requires both concentric and eccentric actions to support running, jumping, and landing. The aim of this study was to examine differences in the architecture of gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) between elite basketballers and cyclists. A trained sonographer obtained three B-mode ultrasound images from GM and GL muscles in 44 athletes (25 basketballers and 19 cyclists; 24 ± 5 years of age). The images were digitized and average fascicle length (FL), pennation angle (θ), and muscle thickness were calculated from three images per muscle. The ratio of FL to tibial length (FL/TL) and muscle thickness to tibial length (MT/TL) was also calculated to account for the potential scaling effect of stature. In males, no significant differences were identified between the athletic groups in all parameters in the GM, but a significant difference existed in muscle thickness in the GL. In basketballers, GL was 2.5 mm thicker (95% CI: 0.7–4.3 mm, p = 0.011) on the left side and 2.6 mm thicker (95% CI: 0.6–5.7 mm, p = 0.012) on the right side; however, these differences were not significant when stature was accounted for (MT/TL). In females, significant differences existed in the GM for all parameters including FL/TL and MT/TL. Female cyclists had longer FL in both limbs (MD: 11.2 and 11.3 mm), narrower θ (MD: 2.1 and 1.8°), and thicker muscles (MD: 2.1 and 2.5 mm). For the GL, female cyclists had significantly longer FL (MD: 5.2 and 5.8 mm) and narrower θ (MD: 1.7 and 2.3°) in both limbs; no differences were observed in absolute muscle thickness or MT/TL ratio. Differences in gastrocnemius muscle architecture were observed between female cyclists and basketballers, but not between males. These findings suggest that participation in sport-specific training might influence gastrocnemius muscle architecture in elite female athletes; however, it remains unclear as to whether gastrocnemius architecture is systematically influenced by the different modes of muscle activation between these respective sports.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gastrocnemius Muscle Architecture in Elite Basketballers and Cyclists: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

May

Locke

Kingsley

2021

Front. Sports Act. Living

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“…The force exerted by a cyclist on a pedal changes over each rotation cycle of the connecting rod and can be separated into an effective pedalling force and an ineffective force along the direction of the rod [ 44 , 45 ]. A number of researchers have measured the applied or effective force during pedalling with the goal of optimizing cycling technique and performance [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. The highest value reported of 1294 N was obtained in a professional performance test under sprint conditions [ 44 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technical and Environmental Viability of a Road Bicycle Pedal Part Made of a Fully Bio-Based Composite Material

et al. 2021

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Glass fibre is the most widely used material for reinforcing thermoplastic matrices presently and its use continues to grow. A significant disadvantage of glass fibre, however, is its impact on the environment, in particular, due to the fact that glass fibre-reinforced composite materials are difficult to recycle. Polyamide 6 is an engineering plastic frequently used as a matrix for high-mechanical performance composites. Producing polyamide monomer requires the use of a large amount of energy and can also pose harmful environmental impacts. Consequently, glass fibre-reinforced Polyamide 6 composites cannot be considered environmentally friendly. In this work, we assessed the performance of a road cycling pedal body consisting of a composite of natural Polyamide 11 reinforced with lignocellulosic fibres from stone-ground wood, as an alternative to the conventional glass fibre-reinforced Polyamide 6 composite (the most common material used for recreational purposes). We developed a 3D model of a pedal with a geometry based on a combination of two existing commercial choices and used it to perform three finite-element tests in order to assess its strength under highly demanding static and cyclic conditions. A supplementary life cycle analysis of the pedal was also performed to determine the ecological impact. Based on the results of the simulation tests, the pedal is considered to be mechanically viable and has a significantly lower environmental impact than fully synthetic composites.

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“…However, to accurately assess the effect of a mechanical constraint, particularly when the constraint affects the inertial moments of the lower extremity (e.g., cadence, workload, etc. ), the FML could play a role in the force parameters calculations [9]. To date, there is little research separately assessing the amplitude of the FML [7,10] and no research that has systematically evaluated the changes in the FML component across different pedaling conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Medial-Lateral Pedal Force Component Correlates with Q-Angle during Steady-State Cycling at Different Workloads and Cadences

2021

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Leg movement during cycling is constrained to the pedal/crank path and predominantly occurs in a sagittal plane. Medial-lateral force (FML) applied to the pedals is considered as a waste and does not contribute to the pedaling. The aim of this study was to examine the changes in FML across different cadences and workloads, and to examine the correlation with lateral knee movement (Q-angle). Twenty-two cyclists completed six trials at three workloads (2, 2.5 and 3 W/kg) and three cadences (75, 85, 95 rpm). Forces were recorded from the force pedal mounted to the left side. Absolute and normalized (to the peak total force) FML were compared across conditions and cross-correlation with Q-angle was calculated. Absolute FML was significantly different across cadences and workloads (p < 0.05) with higher absolute FML at higher cadence. There was no significant difference in normalized FML across the three cadences. There was a significant decrease in normalized FML (~10 N) at higher workloads. Statistically significant correlations were found between the FML and Q-angle (R = 0.70–0.77). The results demonstrate the link between the FML and Q-angle in healthy pain-free cyclists during stationary cycling. It has also been observed that smaller normalized magnitude of the FML is present when the force effectiveness is increased.

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Cycling Biomechanics and Its Relationship to Performance

Cited by 31 publications

References 81 publications

Gastrocnemius Muscle Architecture in Elite Basketballers and Cyclists: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Gastrocnemius Muscle Architecture in Elite Basketballers and Cyclists: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Technical and Environmental Viability of a Road Bicycle Pedal Part Made of a Fully Bio-Based Composite Material

The Medial-Lateral Pedal Force Component Correlates with Q-Angle during Steady-State Cycling at Different Workloads and Cadences

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