Muscle activation during pedaling in different saddle position

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects on muscle activation pattern of different saddle positions during cycling. Three elite cyclists followed a protocol that consisted of four different saddles positions, displaced forward, backward, upward and downward with relation to the reference position used in training and competition. In all tests the saddle was displaced by 1cm. The cyclists’ bicycles were mounted on a magnetic cycle simulator. The load was normalized at the second ventilatory threshold. Muscle activation of six lower limb muscles was registered: gluteus maximus, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius medialis, and tibialis anterior. The results demonstrated that relatively small saddle adjustments can affect the pattern of muscle activation and probably cycling technique.