Author: Wilkinson, Ross D; Lichtwark, Glen A; Cresswell, Andrew G
Title: The Mechanics of Seated and Nonseated Cycling at Very-High-Power Output: A Joint-level Analysis. Cord-id: zw1tuxni Document date: 2020_1_28
ID: zw1tuxni
Snippet: Cyclists frequently use a non-seated posture when accelerating, climbing steep hills, and sprinting; yet, the biomechanical difference between seated and non-seated cycling remains unclear. PURPOSE To test the effects of posture (seated and non-seated) and cadence (70 rpm and 120 rpm) on joint power contributions, effective mechanical advantage, and muscle activations within the leg during very-high-power output cycling. METHODS Fifteen male participants rode on an instrumented ergometer at 50%
Document: Cyclists frequently use a non-seated posture when accelerating, climbing steep hills, and sprinting; yet, the biomechanical difference between seated and non-seated cycling remains unclear. PURPOSE To test the effects of posture (seated and non-seated) and cadence (70 rpm and 120 rpm) on joint power contributions, effective mechanical advantage, and muscle activations within the leg during very-high-power output cycling. METHODS Fifteen male participants rode on an instrumented ergometer at 50% of their individualised instantaneous maximal power (10.74 ± 1.99 W⋅kg; above the reported threshold for seated to non-seated transition) in different postures (seated and non-seated) and at different cadences (70 rpm and 120 rpm); whilst leg muscle activity, full body motion capture, and crank radial and tangential forces were recorded. A scaled, full-body model was used to solve inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics to determine joint displacements and net joint moments. Statistical comparisons were made using repeated measure, two-way analyses of variance (posture x cadence). RESULTS There were significant main effects of posture and cadence on joint power contributions. A key finding was that the non-seated posture increased negative power at the knee, with an associated significant decrease of net power at the knee. The contribution of knee power decreased by 15% at both 70 and 120 rpm (~=0.8 W·kg) when non-seated compared to seated. Subsequently, hip power and ankle power contributions were significantly higher when non-seated compared to seated at both cadences. In both postures, knee power was 9% lower at 120 rpm compared to 70 rpm (~=0.4 W·kg). CONCLUSION These results evidenced that the contribution of knee joint power to leg power was reduced by switching from a seated to non-seated posture during very-high-power output cycling, however the size of the reduction is cadence dependent.
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