Study: Electric bicycles increase fitness

During the 4-week intervention, the participants drove an average of 318 kilometers with an average of 4.9 ± 1.2 metabolic equivalents (Mets) when riding. This activity significantly improved their 2-hour glucose tolerance test and their performance output. There were no significant trends towards an improved middle arterial blood pressure and a reduced fat mass.

The more clearly the effects of a sitting way of life on health, the more clearly the value even becomes a gradual increase in physical activity. This study shows that the use of an electrically supported bicycle for the way to work for only one month has measurable health benefits.

While electric bikes are still relatively rare in our country, they have become a phenomenon in large parts of the rest of the world. Sales in China rose from 300,000 units per year to 30 million in the 12 years from 2000 to 2012. The vast majority - 95 % - remain in Asia. At this point, only a tiny fraction of the bicycles (0.5%) produced reached North America. Almost 4 % reach Europe; Over 1 million e-bikes were sold in Europe in 2012. In Germany, over 6,000 e-bikes were submitted to post employees. 1 sales in Europe increase by around 30 %annually. The United States is lagging behind when the electric bike was introduced, but it is assumed that we will soon follow these international trends.

While electric bicycles are still relatively rare in our country, they have become a phenomenon in large parts of the rest of the world.

electric bicycles differ in the way electrical support is activated to make it easier to perform. The main division is whether you use throttle or pedal support. The support activated by gas is similar to how a motorcycle or scooter works. The activation of the gas lever switches on an engine to provide performance and drive the bike forward.

In contrast, bicycles with pedal support, which are referred to as pedelecs, only provide performance if the driver steps into the pedals. ^{2 The participants of this study used all pedelec bicycles. The drivers had to pedal to activate the support from the electrical function to drive the bicycle.}

The reasons why these bicycles are popular in developing countries are obvious. Pedelecs are cheap and cost less than $ 200 in China. The models sold in developing countries are typically compact; Your frames can be folded in half for storage and you use small tires.

In 2009, Monique Simons from the Netherlands proposed that Pedelec bicycles "... could serve as a new tool in order to fulfill the guidelines for physical activity in terms of intensity". She tested 12 active adults who drove different types of bicycles on a race track while wearing portable gas analysis devices. Some of the bicycles had electrical servo support, others not. Obviously it was less exhausting to step on the pedelec bikes, but Simons came to the conclusion that driving with one of the bicycles offered a measure of training intensity, "... sufficiently high to contribute to the guidelines for physical activity for health-promoting physical activity with medium intensity for adults ...".