Lower-extremity Joint Kinematics and Muscle Activations During Semi-reclined Cycling at Different Workloads in Healthy Individuals

Overview

Journal J Neuroeng Rehabil

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Neurology
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2014 Oct 19

PMID 25325920

Citations 9

Authors

Kamyar Momeni

Pouran D Faghri

Martinus Evans

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: A better understanding of lower-extremity muscles' activation patterns and joint kinematics during different workloads could help rehabilitation professionals with prescribing more effective exercise regimen for elderly and those with compromised muscles. We examined the relative contribution, as well as activation and co-activation patterns, of lower-extremity muscles during semi-reclined cycling at different workloads during a constant cadence.

Methods: Fifteen healthy novice cyclists participated at three 90-second cycling trials with randomly assigned workloads of 0, 50, and 100 W, at a constant cadence of 60 rpm. During all trials, electromyograms were recorded from four lower-extremity muscles: rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF), tibialis anterior (TA), and gastrocnemius medialis (GT). Joint kinematics were also recorded and synchronized with the EMG data. Muscle burst onset, offset, duration of activity, peak magnitude, and peak timing, as well as mean joint angles and mean ranges of motion were extracted from the recorded data and compared across workloads.

Results: As workload increased, BF and TA displayed earlier activations and delayed deactivations in each cycle that resulted in a significantly (p < 0.05) longer duration of activity at higher workloads. RF showed a significantly longer duration of activity between 0 and 50 W as well as 0 and 100 W (p < 0.05); however, the activity duration of GT was not appeared to be affected significantly by workload. EMG peak-magnitude of RF, BF, and TA changed significantly (p < 0.05) as workload increased, but no changes were observed in the EMG peak-timing across workloads. Durations of co-activation in the RF-BF pair as well as the RF-TA pair increased significantly with workload, while the RF-TA and TA-GT pairs were only significantly different (p < 0.05) between the 0 and 100 W workload levels. Increased workload did not lead to any significant changes in the joint kinematics.

Conclusions: Muscles' activity patterns as well as co-activation patterns are significantly affected by changes in cycling workloads in healthy individuals. These variations should be considered during cycling, especially in the elderly and those with compromised musculoskeletal systems. Future research should evaluate such changes specific to these populations.

Citing Articles

Handlebar Width Choices Must Be Considered for Female Cyclists.

Lin Z, Tsai P, Chen C J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2025; 10(1.

PMID: 39846669 PMC: 11755458. DOI: 10.3390/jfmk10010028.

Effects of workload and saddle height on muscle activation of the lower limb during cycling.

Bing F, Zhang G, Wang Y, Zhang M Biomed Eng Online. 2024; 23(1):6.

PMID: 38229090 PMC: 10790431. DOI: 10.1186/s12938-024-01199-y.

The Effect of Handlebar Height and Bicycle Frame Length on Muscular Activity during Cycling: A Pilot Study.

Conceicao A, Milheiro V, Parraca J, Rocha F, Espada M, Santos F Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(11).

PMID: 35682173 PMC: 9180202. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116590.

Sensing leg movement enhances wearable monitoring of energy expenditure.

Slade P, Kochenderfer M, Delp S, Collins S Nat Commun. 2021; 12(1):4312.

PMID: 34257310 PMC: 8277831. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24173-x.

Biomechanics of handcycling propulsion in a 30-min continuous load test at lactate threshold: Kinetics, kinematics, and muscular activity in able-bodied participants.

Quittmann O, Abel T, Albracht K, Meskemper J, Foitschik T, Struder H Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020; 120(6):1403-1415.

PMID: 32306152 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-020-04373-x.

References

OBrien T . Lower extremity cycling biomechanics. A review and theoretical discussion. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 1991; 81(11):585-92. DOI: 10.7547/87507315-81-11-585. View

Trumbower R, Faghri P . Improving pedal power during semireclined leg cycling. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 2004; 23(2):62-71. DOI: 10.1109/memb.2004.1310977. View

Matthews C, Jurj A, Shu X, Li H, Yang G, Li Q . Influence of exercise, walking, cycling, and overall nonexercise physical activity on mortality in Chinese women. Am J Epidemiol. 2007; 165(12):1343-50. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm088. View

Neptune R, Kautz S, Hull M . The effect of pedaling rate on coordination in cycling. J Biomech. 1997; 30(10):1051-8. DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9290(97)00071-7. View

Craig C, Marshall A, Sjostrom M, Bauman A, Booth M, Ainsworth B . International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003; 35(8):1381-95. DOI: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB. View

Baum B, Li L . Lower extremity muscle activities during cycling are influenced by load and frequency. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2003; 13(2):181-90. DOI: 10.1016/s1050-6411(02)00110-4. View

Raasch C, Zajac F . Locomotor strategy for pedaling: muscle groups and biomechanical functions. J Neurophysiol. 1999; 82(2):515-25. DOI: 10.1152/jn.1999.82.2.515. View

Bini R, Tamborindeguy A, Mota C . Effects of saddle height, pedaling cadence, and workload on joint kinetics and kinematics during cycling. J Sport Rehabil. 2010; 19(3):301-14. DOI: 10.1123/jsr.19.3.301. View

Macaluso A, Nimmo M, Foster J, Cockburn M, McMillan N, De Vito G . Contractile muscle volume and agonist-antagonist coactivation account for differences in torque between young and older women. Muscle Nerve. 2002; 25(6):858-63. DOI: 10.1002/mus.10113. View

10.

Sacchetti M, Lenti M, Scotto di Palumbo A, De Vito G . Different effect of cadence on cycling efficiency between young and older cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010; 42(11):2128-33. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181e05526. View

11.

van Ingen Schenau G, Boots P, de Groot G, Snackers R, Van Woensel W . The constrained control of force and position in multi-joint movements. Neuroscience. 1992; 46(1):197-207. DOI: 10.1016/0306-4522(92)90019-x. View

12.

Gregor S, Perell K, Rushatakankovit S, Miyamoto E, Muffoletto R, Gregor R . Lower extremity general muscle moment patterns in healthy individuals during recumbent cycling. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2002; 17(2):123-9. DOI: 10.1016/s0268-0033(01)00112-7. View

13.

Trumbower R, Faghri P . Kinematic analyses of semireclined leg cycling in able-bodied and spinal cord injured individuals. Spinal Cord. 2005; 43(9):543-9. DOI: 10.1038/sj.sc.3101756. View

14.

Bini R, Diefenthaeler F, Mota C . Fatigue effects on the coordinative pattern during cycling: kinetics and kinematics evaluation. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008; 20(1):102-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2008.10.003. View

15.

Suzuki S, Watanabe S, Homma S . EMG activity and kinematics of human cycling movements at different constant velocities. Brain Res. 1982; 240(2):245-58. DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(82)90220-7. View

16.

Redfield R, Hull M . On the relation between joint moments and pedalling rates at constant power in bicycling. J Biomech. 1986; 19(4):317-29. DOI: 10.1016/0021-9290(86)90008-4. View

17.

Reiser 2nd R, Broker J, Peterson M . Knee loads in the standard and recumbent cycling positions. Biomed Sci Instrum. 2004; 40:36-42. View

18.

Thomas S, Reading J, Shephard R . Revision of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q). Can J Sport Sci. 1992; 17(4):338-45. View

19.

Hakansson N, Hull M . Functional roles of the leg muscles when pedaling in the recumbent versus the upright position. J Biomech Eng. 2005; 127(2):301-10. DOI: 10.1115/1.1865192. View

20.

Jorge M, Hull M . Analysis of EMG measurements during bicycle pedalling. J Biomech. 1986; 19(9):683-94. DOI: 10.1016/0021-9290(86)90192-2. View