Possibilities of Using e-Bike Riding in Training and Primary Health Prevention

Abstract

This study aims to assess the difficulty of riding an e-bike and the effectiveness of its use, especially in primary health prevention.

Ten men with regular physical activity participated in our pilot study (n = 10, age = 20.5 ± 2.3 years, weight = 73.1 ± 6.0 kg, height = 180.9 ± 3.0 cm, body fat = 11.9 ± 2.0%).

For conventional e-bikes, the load cannot be expressed in watts, only the degree of assistance. Therefore, we used cardiorespiratory variables such as oxygen consumption, minute ventilation, ventilatory equivalent, respiratory exchange ratio, and heart rate to assess load intensity.

To determine the intensity of e-bike riding, we monitored the physiological response to each level of e-bike assistance (assistance levels 9, 7, 5, 3, 1, 0) at a constant speed of 35 km/h and two gradients of 0.5% and 2.5% (simulated using an electromagnetic brake).

The energy intensity of e-bike riding increases with lower levels of assistance and higher terrain gradients. For our cohort, this activity is developmental at a riding speed of 35 km/h and a terrain slope of 0.5% beyond the highest level of assistance of 9. It can be recommended as a means of developing health-related fitness. At a 2.5% gradient, grades 9 and 7 of the e-bike are associated with physiological values at intensities recommended for aerobic fitness development. The lower grades of 5–0 assistance represented too high exercise intensity and elicited a functional response above the established anaerobic threshold. They find relevance more in training-specific abilities.