CYCLING PERFORMANCE TIPS
Recumbent Bikes
What are the differences as far as
athletic performance on a recumbent versus a traditional bicycle?
The physiological principles of exercise and training, whether nutritional
requirements or the concepts of interval versus endurance training, are similar
for all aerobic exercise including recumbent and upright bicycles. The
differences are in the aerodynamics, the mechanical leverage to power the
pedals, and the stresses placed on the rider's body.
Differences in musculoskeletal stress include:
- Less use of muscles of the upper body to provide the resistance for the
lower legs as they power the pedals.
- Protection of the shoulders, elbows, and wrists from the weight of the
upper body on the handle bars.
- An increase in "soreness " in the hips and legs.
- Less problems with boils, ingrown hairs, and saddle sores.
- A decrease in perineal pressure from the saddle spares the nether regions
in women and decreases penile numbness in men.
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