Abstract
Elite, novice, and beginner cyclists all encounter varying positions on the bicycle to meet comfort and/or performance needs. These positions must take into account the complex relationship between muscular activation, flexibility, and the limits of human biomechanics. PURPOSE: To investigate three bicycle positions and the effect of the rider’s upper body muscular activation and comfort. The bicycle position was defined by hip angles: normal (120-130 degrees), aggressive (110-115 degrees), and upright posture (140-150 degrees), while maintaining a constant knee angle (28-32 degrees). METHODS: 10 college-aged participants with cycling experience from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the surrounding area were recruited to participate in the study. Three trials were performed in randomized order to have participants in the normal, aggressive, and upright posture. Handlebar height and saddle fore/aft position were adjusted depending on condition, while keeping the saddle height constant to meet the parameters of a normal, aggressive, and upright posture. Participants maintained 70RPM at a resistance relative to their body weight. The warm-up consisted of 3 minutes at 1.0 W/kg, and the data collection portion was 1.5 W/kg for women and 2.0 W/kg for men for 3 minutes. Each participant wore wireless EMG sensors on the dominant body side on the following muscles: Erector Spinae, L3 Paraspinal, Upper Trapezius, Lower Trapezius, Rectus Abdominis, Multifidus, Gluteus Maximus, and Latissimus Dorsi. Participants completed a post-trial questionnaire to determine the overall comfort of each trial. RESULTS: Root Mean Square and the Mean values were derived from the 3 conditions, and an ANOVA was performed to determine variance. The results found that there was no significant difference among the three bicycle positions (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The study highlights no significant difference among the three positions in muscular activation. Future research should use a greater workload and a larger sample size to gain a greater understanding of bicycle positioning.
Recommended Citation
Cariquitan, Nicholas G.; Dumas, Amara; and O'Hara, Christiane R.
(2025)
"EMG Analysis of the Upper Body During Different Cycling Positions,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14:
Iss.
5, Article 17.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss5/17