Off- and On-Bike Resistance Training in Cyclists: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study compared the effects of off- and on-bike resistance training (RT) on endurance cycling performance as well as muscle strength, power, and structure. Well-trained male cyclists were randomly assigned to incorporate two sessions/week of off-bike (full squats, n = 12) or on-bike (all-out efforts performed against very high resistances and thus at very low cadences, n = 12) RT during 10 wk, with all RT-related variables (number of sessions, sets, and repetitions, duration of recovery periods, and relative loads [70% of one-repetition maximum]) matched between the two groups. A third, control group ( n = 13), did not receive any RT stimulus, but all groups completed a cycling training regime of the same volume and intensity. Outcomes included maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O 2max ), off-bike muscle strength (full squat) and on-bike ("pedaling") muscle strength, and peak power capacity (Wingate test), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-determined body composition (muscle/fat mass), and muscle structure (cross-sectional area, pennation angle). No significant within/between-group effect was found for V̇O 2max . Both the off-bike (mean Δ = 2.6%-5.8%) and on-bike (4.5%-7.3%) RT groups increased squat and pedaling-specific strength parameters after the intervention compared with the control group (-5.8% to -3.9%) ( P < 0.05) with no significant differences between them. The two RT groups also increased Wingate performance (4.1% and 4.3%, respectively, vs -4.9% in the control group, P ≤ 0.018), with similar results for muscle cross-sectional area (2.5% and 2.2%, vs -2.3% in the control group, P ≤ 0.008). No significant within/between-group effect was found for body composition. The new proposed on-bike RT could be an effective alternative to conventional off-bike RT training for improving overall and pedaling-specific muscle strength, power, and muscle mass.