There’s something freeing and exhilarating about cycling in the great outdoors, and I tend to go through phases where I’m cycling a lot or not cycling much at all. Some avid cyclists enjoy different types of exercise, including weightlifting, while others are more selective with their workouts.
Can weightlifting power up those pedals? Can the gym boost your bike endurance? In an interesting study, researchers explored whether weightlifting could help cyclists on the bike and the factors and obstacles that might be getting in the way.
The study
In a study published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, the researchers explored how male master cyclists older than 35 use strength training, including what kind they prefer, why they strength train, and the challenges they face. The study involved 555 male master cyclists who filled out an online survey and were categorized into two groups: ages 35-49 and ages 50-plus.
The survey included questions about:
- How often and when the cyclists did strength training
- What exercises do they focus on
- Why they do strength training
- What makes it challenging to keep up with
The results
The following are the telling results:
- Most cyclists trained with weights more often during the off-season and pre-season when they weren’t racing.
- There was a significant reduction in the frequency and the number of cyclists engaging in strength training during the race season. This could be because the cyclists were already busy, with most of their energy taken up with the race season.
- Strength training was mostly focused on the core and lower body and involved muscle-building and maximal strength training methods.
- The cyclists faced challenges like fatigue, muscle soreness, and limited time to perform strength training.
- Some cyclists reported a lack of motivation as a barrier to strength training.
- The main reason for doing strength training was to improve cycling performance, lower injury risk, and get the health benefits.
- Both age categories, and particularly the older group, reported bone health as a primary reason for strength training.
The researchers noted that strength training offers performance and health benefits for male cyclists at any age, but fatigue and time constraints get in the way, suggesting a need for more tailored training programs to improve adherence and effectiveness.
Concluding thoughts
Most cyclists recognize that hitting the gym improves their cycling performance, protects their bones, lowers the risk of injury, and more, but fatigue and time are among the biggest obstacles in the way. The younger age group between 35 and 49 reported time constraints as one of the biggest deterrents.
This study suggests that cyclists could benefit from more personalized training plans that fit their schedules and help prevent them from getting too tired, so they can continue to lift those weights and reap those benefits.
