Many people think of a recumbent exercise bike as a regular exercise bike with a reclining bucket seat. However, learning the key differences between recumbent and regular exercise bikes is vital to unlocking the unique potential of each machine. That can be very important due to the fact that exercise bikes, regular or recumbent, are highly effective ways to improve your cardiovascular fitness and burn sufficient calories to promote weight loss.
Identification
Recumbent bikes, with their more reclined positioning, are designed to alleviate the pressure to the neck, spine, lower back and tailbone that is sometimes characteristic of upright cycling. Recumbent bikes also have a lower center of gravity, which increases safety and stability. Regular upright exercise bikes are designed to mimic the body position and movements of riding an actual bicycle.
Effects
The muscles used when pedaling an exercise bike are directly effected by body position. Cycling in the upright position uses the muscles of the trunk, upper extremities, hamstrings and quadriceps, whereas cycling in the recumbent position uses primarily the hamstrings and quadriceps. According to an article published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, less muscle activation in the recumbent position can actually result in increased muscular fatigue in the lower body. Even though you may be more comfortable and have a lower heart rate in the recumbent position, your legs may actually fatigue faster.
Considerations
The decision to use a recumbent or upright bike should be based on personal preference. Those who simply want to burn calories and increase endurance will probably find recumbent bikes more advantageous. Individuals who wish to improve cycling performance should probably use an upright bike. Also, adding resistance to an exercise bike is commonly used to increase muscle tone to specific areas in the lower body. Therefore, alternating the use of recumbent and upright bikes can be a good way to adequately target all of the major muscle groups in the lower body.
Misconceptions
One common misconception is that riding a recumbent bike is an inferior workout because it is more comfortable and may not get your heart rate as high. However, according to an article published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, oxygen consumption is not significantly different during moderate and hard exercise on a recumbent and upright bike. That means it is possible to burn similar amounts of calories on a recumbent bike as you would on an upright bike and still enjoy the added comfort and stability.
Theories/Speculation
Because recumbent exercise bikes can offer increased comfort and stability, they have become a very popular option among older individuals and in cardiac rehabilitation settings. However, systolic blood pressure responses have actually been found to be generally higher during recumbent cycling than in upright cycling for reasons unknown. The predominate theory to explain that is that increased blood pressure is caused by the isometric gripping or "squeezing" of the handrails in the recumbent position.
References
- "European Journal of Applied Physiology"; Effect of body tilt angle on fatigue and EMG activities in lower limbs during cycling; March 2010
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Kinetics of Oxygen Uptake During Supine and Upright Heavy Exercise; Vol. 87(1), 1999
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