E-BIKES PROMOTE FITNESS AND HEALTH

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E-BIKES PROMOTE FITNESS AND HEALTH





The role of the e-bike in promoting health and fitness is comparable to that of a conventional bicycle. This was reported by researchers at the University of Basel in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. In particular, overweight and untrained individuals can benefit from riding an e-bike.

The starting point for the pilot study was the Bike to Work campaign, which has been running in Switzerland for ten years now and invites commuters to switch to their bicycles or e-bikes every year for a month. Almost 65,000 cyclists took part this year.

A research group at the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health at the University of Basel examined how the exercise intensity on e-bikes compares to conventional bicycles. They conclude that training with an e-bike is not less effective but has comparable health benefits as regular bicycling. Furthermore, the researchers found that even after a relatively short training period of four weeks, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness were achieved.

Oxygen uptake as an indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited about 30 volunteers who were considered untrained overweight individuals (body mass index of 28-29). In preparation for the intervention, the participants were thoroughly examined. The oxygen uptake capacity (VO2) was a decisive criterion for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness. VO2 measures the body's ability to uptake and utilize oxygen.

The participants then rode a distance of at least 6 kilometers on at least three days per week. While one half was riding a conventional bike, the other half was commuting on an e-bike. There were no specifications regarding the speed and intensity of the ride. Some test subjects wore a heart monitor and a GPS device.

After a month, the participants had their health tested again, and it became apparent that both groups had developed comparably well in their fitness -- measured by their oxygen uptake capacity. If this improvement is maintained permanently, the risk of cardiovascular mortality decreases to a clinically relevant extent. Also, the heart worked more efficiently after the four-week training.

The preventive potential of e-bikes

Furthermore, the study shows that the e-bike group participants traveled at higher speeds and showed higher daily elevation gain on average. "This indicates that the e-bike can increase motivation and help overweight and older individuals to maintain fitness training on a regular basis," comments Arno Schmidt-Trucksaess, Professor of Sports Medicine at the University of Basel, on the study results. "Those who use e-bikes on a regular basis benefit permanently, not only in terms of their fitness, but also in terms of other factors such as blood pressure, fat metabolism, and overall mental well-being." Overall, the study provides an essential indication of the preventive potential of e-bikes.

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