Sports Sciences Commons^™

Muscular Activity Patterns In 1-Legged Vs. 2-Legged Pedaling, Sangsoo Park, Graham E. Caldwell

Kinesiology Department Faculty Publication Series

Background: One-legged pedaling is of interest to elite cyclists and clinicians. However, muscular usage in 1-legged vs. 2-legged pedaling is not fully understood. Thus, the study was aimed to examine changes in leg muscle activation patterns between 2-legged and 1-legged pedaling. Methods: Fifteen healthy young recreational cyclists performed both 1-legged and 2-legged pedaling trials at about 30 Watt per leg. Surface electromyography electrodes were placed on 10 major muscles of the left leg. Linear envelope electromyography data were integrated to quantify muscle activities for each crank cycle quadrant to evaluate muscle activation changes. Results: Overall, the prescribed constant power requirements …