![]() This equation involves just two variables: a cyclist's mass and "work rate," equal to the resistive force of the exercise bike multiplied by the distance that the bike would travel were it not attached to the floor. ![]() Each cyclist pedaled faster and faster against different loads while a face mask monitored how much oxygen he was consuming-a measure of metabolic rate.įormenti and co-workers made 160 such measurements (16 for each participant), and compared them with rates of oxygen uptake predicted by an equation recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). To find out exactly how pedaling rate affects energy consumption, physiologist Federico Formenti of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and colleagues studied how 10 men of various ages and fitness levels performed on an exercise bike in a laboratory at the University of Auckland in New Zealand (where Formenti was previously based). Similarly, lower gears are better for going uphill because they keep you from pedaling far more slowly than you should. To travel fast, you will use less energy in a higher gear even though you have to push on the pedals harder, because your leg muscles are far more efficient at the lower contraction rate. Muscles work best when contracting neither too quickly nor too slowly. Many bicycles already contain a device designed to prevent overpedaling: gears. The researchers reached that conclusion by developing a new equation to describe cycling performance, which they say should help people get into better shape. That's the advice of a group of physiologists who have found that people burn more energy than they need to when pedaling furiously, elite cyclists excepted. ![]() If you're heading off to town on your bike or going for a relaxing cycle in the countryside, be sure not to pedal too quickly. ![]()
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