As cyclists, we know that riding a bike is good for the mind, body, and soul. We know this not only because the science says so, but also because we can see how much riding can improve your physical and mental health. But let’s dig a little deeper into what research shows about how cycling specifically impacts heart health and longevity, and how much cycling you need per week to make a difference in your cardiovascular health.
First, let’s take a look at what research shows about the impact that more vehicles have on our heart health and longevity. 2021 Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis sports medicine We provide some of the clearest evidence specific to cycling. After examining 17 studies involving approximately 479,000 participants, researchers found that higher levels of cycling were associated with a 23 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 24 percent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared with lower levels of cycling. That’s a significant decrease.
The authors also estimate that the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is lowest at about 15 met hours per week, which translates to about 130 minutes of biking to work per week at a self-selected commuting pace. This number is helpful because it falls roughly within the same range as broader public health exercise guidelines. It’s not nothing, but it’s not a huge distance either. In other words, if you’re riding just over two hours a week at a moderate effort, you’re likely in the range where you’ll get the most meaningful benefits for your heart health.
Other research suggests that the benefits may appear before you reach your weekly goals. 2014 meta-analysis International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity They found that people who cycled at a level similar to standard physical activity guidelines had a 10% lower risk of death from any cause than those who rarely or never cycled. This isn’t necessarily surprising.
But what’s interesting is that the researchers found that the effect curve was steepest at the beginning. That means the biggest health gains seem to come from cycling a little bit from nothing, rather than adding more miles after you’re already active. So the point is, there’s not just one magic number that suddenly starts giving you benefits. That means some cycling is better than no cycling, and your heart health is likely to improve over time as your mileage increases.
However, there is an important point here. Strength is also important. In fact, short, hard rides may be more strongly associated with heart health benefits than long, easy rides. comparative study from Copenhagen city heart survey found that relative intensity may be more important than duration for all-cause and coronary heart disease mortality. People who cycled at a higher relative intensity had a lower risk of death from any cause or coronary heart disease.
That doesn’t mean all rides have to be hard. What this means is that if your weekly rides include a brisk effort to get your heart rate up, you’re likely to get more cardio benefits than if each ride is just simple rotations. 30 minutes of easy work is good, but sometimes 30 minutes of vigorous work is better.
So what should a practical weekly riding goal be to improve your heart health? For most people, the easiest benchmark remains 150 minutes of moderate-intensity riding per week, which falls within the weekly aerobic exercise guidelines set by U.S. law. american heart association. This could be five 30-minute rides or several longer rides per week.
“Moderate intensity” means you’re working hard enough to get your breathing and heart rate up, but not so hard that it becomes difficult to carry on a conversation. Using the Talk Test, you should be able to speak in complete sentences, but you probably won’t be able to sing comfortably. Using heart rate, a general rule of thumb is about 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. To estimate your maximum heart rate, many people use 220 minus your age. Therefore, for a 40-year-old, the moderate intensity range would be approximately 90 to 126 beats per minute.
If you ride harder than that, you can potentially get similar results with closer to 75 minutes a week. And even if you’re currently getting less exercise, the evidence shows that it’s still worth biking. The biggest gains in heart health and longevity may come from cycling a little, rather than not cycling at all. For most adults, a few hours of horseback riding a week is a strong, evidence-based starting point. Believe us when we say that once you start riding, you won’t want to stop.
Natasha has been a NASM certified personal trainer for over 10 years, with a focus on functional strength training and corrective exercise. Her passion is a fancy way of saying she’s passionate about teaching people how to move better with more strength and less pain. She has multiple certifications including specialties in corrective exercise, stretching and flexibility, behavior modification, and nutrition. She has been a bicycle enthusiast for almost 30 years, and at various times has been a bicycle mechanic, a frame builder apprentice, a bicycle messenger company attendant, a fitness studio owner, a spin instructor, and held various jobs at several different bicycle companies. Most recently, she is one of Bicycling magazine’s Health and Fitness editors.
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