Cycling is a great way to stay fit and healthy. It has many benefits, including burning calories, increasing endurance, improving mental health, and strengthening muscles. However, many people wonder if cycling builds muscle.
This article will explore the idea of what cycling does for muscle growth and how it can be combined with other activities for maximum muscle gain.
Cycling and Muscle
If you cycle regularly, you are likely to notice the strength training benefits that biking produces. But what about the muscle gain? Do cycling rides build muscle mass? The general consensus is that cycling is beneficial in terms of improving the health of muscles, along with the cardiovascular health of the body.
In the book, The Prostate Book for Men, Dr. David J. Katz, MD, lists several benefits of cycling. He writes, “Cycling improves bone density, heart and circulatory health. Research suggests that it may also be effective in improving cognition, physical performance, and even the immune system.” However, there’s also some question as to the impact of cycling on muscle growth.
Combining Cycling with Strength Training for a Maximum Gain
Fitness experts are quick to note that most people can only gain muscle by performing three exercises at one time, one of which should be lifting weights to some extent. It’s a given that many people like to cycle, but does it translate to additional muscle?
Let’s first tackle the question of whether cycling builds muscle. Cycling is a great workout for overall fitness. It builds endurance, strengthens your cardiovascular system, strengthens your core, and builds abdominal and back strength.
Your body has to pump oxygen and nutrients through your body constantly, and if it doesn’t your muscles will start to atrophy, your bones will start to deteriorate, and your body will start to become brittle. Cycling, on the other hand, is a great way to eliminate excess body fat.
When Does Cycling Build Muscle?
Prolonged cycling is the most effective way to grow muscle mass. This is because a lot of the weight put into the muscles goes to the upper body. When the legs and lower body rest for a period, the upper body will perform the heavy lifting while the lower body recovers. However, if the legs are kept active during cycling, they will start to burn fat. T
his means that it doesn’t take as long for your legs to recover after a cycling session as it does after a leg-intensive exercise like running.
How Does Cycling Build Muscle? In the earlier sections, we have seen the benefits of cycling. This form of exercise will promote weight loss and toning, increase endurance, strengthen your muscles, and prevent muscle loss. Cycling also has other benefits.
How Often Should You Cycle to Build Muscle?
The answer to the question “How often should I cycle to build muscle?” is that there is no set schedule for people to cycle, such as 6 days a week, for instance. Instead, the body responds best to a combination of time on the bike and other workouts.
Time on the bike burns calories, builds muscle, and gets your heart rate up. As it has been said many times, cycling for 30 minutes a day will burn at least 300 calories a day. Exercising on a bicycle also helps improve blood flow to your legs, which can lead to improved circulation.
Low blood flow can decrease circulation and inhibit the muscles in your legs from working properly. Regular exercise of the legs also helps prevent blood clots and the development of other heart and circulation problems.
Conclusion
Cycling for health and fitness is a great activity that promotes cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular health benefits of cycling are not controversial. However, many people believe that cycling does not build muscle. Let’s take a look at the facts.