(www.pd-f.de / Luka Gorjup | Lux Fotowerk) Cycling is a gentle yet effective training.
Cycling is considered an effective full-body workout that is also gentle on the joints. But untrained people in particular should take it slowly. A professor from the University of Würzburg explains the best training methods.
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Cycling is fun and improves your basic fitness through more endurance and strength. Additionally, it is a very efficient sport for burning calories and losing weight. Depending on the duration and intensity, you can quickly add up to several hundred calories. It only plays a minor role whether you pedal in the gym on a normal bike, e-bike, mountain bike or ergometer.
What matters is how long you travel and with what pulse rate, explains sports scientist Prof. Dr. Billy Sperlich from the University of Würzburg Fitbook. In addition to more endurance and strength, cycling also has positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Heart function is promoted and the lungs are stressed, resulting in improved oxygen uptake. Regular cycling reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and helps lower or keep blood pressure stable.
Cycling is good and gentle endurance training
To the advantage of beginners and untrained people, cycling has two main differences compared to jogging: it is easier on the joints and, thanks to the gear shifting and motor support in the case of e-bikes, offers a relatively constant load. Cycling is therefore also suitable for people who are overweight or have joint problems. But what distance and length of time are considered the benchmark for basic fitness? Billy Sperlich gives the following advice:
Duration: How long should you last?
You should aim to be able to cycle for two hours at a time without taking a break. Experienced cyclists can even manage up to five hours. The route should be mostly flat; a moderate gear selection helps to control the load.
Distance: What distance should you cover?
With an average speed of 20 km/h, a normally trained cyclist should be able to cover around 20 kilometers in an hour. Two hours of cycling means a distance of 40 kilometers.
Cadence and ergonomics
For optimal fitness, Prof. Sperlich recommends a cadence of 70 to 80 revolutions per minute. Beginners often tend to pedal in too high gears at lower frequencies, which is inefficient. It is also important to adjust the bike correctly to avoid back pain and pressure points. When cycling, the leg muscles, especially the thighs and calves, as well as the core and back muscles, are put under a lot of strain. Targeted training of these muscle groups before the start of the cycling season or longer tours prevents overload and pain. Special saddles with gel pads reduce the pressure on the buttocks and absorb shocks.
The right pulse rate
Your heart rate when cycling should be about 10 beats per minute lower than when jogging. A moderate, comfortable pace for cycling is around 120 beats per minute.
Tips for getting started
Beginners should increase their riding times gradually. An hour to start is a good place to start. You can then increase the duration in small steps until you can last two to three hours. The following applies: Duration counts more than speed. Before you shift into higher gears, you should aim for a longer period of driving at a comfortable pace.
