Dr Éric Thorin, Ph. D.
Professeur titulaire, Département de Chirurgie, Université de Montréal. Chercheur au centre de recherche de l'Institut de cardiologie de Montréal.
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- Electric cycling requires moderate-intensity exercise;
- Compared to conventional bicycles, electric cycling results in a lower heart rate, oxygen consumption (VO₂), MET (metabolic equivalent, see box), and energy expenditure per minute;
- In most studies, however, the cardiometabolic activation induced by electric cycling is significantly greater than that of walking;
- Although e-bike users spend less time engaged in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity than conventional cyclists, they accumulate a significant amount of active time at these intensity levels.
- Electric cycling is therefore an alternative form of physical activity that combines business with pleasure and helps break the cycle of sedentary behaviour.
Electric bikes have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among older people or those who are less fit. As the name suggests, this type of bicycle is equipped with an electric motor that increases pedalling force, allowing cyclists to cover longer distances or climb hills without excessive energy expenditure. It is therefore a very enjoyable and accessible form of physical activity for a wide range of people.
In medicine, this mode of transport quickly gained attention because it allows the intensity of physical activity to be adapted to the patient’s abilities. For example, following a cardiovascular event such as a myocardial infarction, post-infarction rehabilitation requires adopting a healthy lifestyle, especially with regard to physical activity. Very quickly, the electric bike emerged as a highly attractive alternative. By allowing users to adjust the level of assistance from low to high, it enables them to adapt the intensity of the effort required for movement and thus more easily control their optimal heart rate (beats per minute) during exercise, while also providing a pleasant mode of transportation.
Over the past ten years, scientific studies have evaluated the effects of this form of physical activity, providing conclusive data. The studies summarized in Table 1 show that, in general, the use of electric bikes slightly improves cardiopulmonary capacity but has little effect on blood pressure. Some studies show an improvement in the elastic function of the aorta, as measured by pulse wave velocity.
| Parameters | Classic bike vs. electric bike | Main results | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiorespiratory condition (VO₂ peak) | Similar improvements over 4 weeks in untrained overweight adults. | VO₂peak ↑ 3.6 mL/kg/min (electric bike) vs 2.2 (conventional bike). Meta-analyses show moderate gains in maximum cardiopulmonary capacity with the electric bike | Höchsmann et al. (2017) Bourne et al. (2018) Riiser et al. (2022) |
| Arterial stiffness/blood pressure | Short-term use of an e-bike ↓ central pulse wave velocity (PWV); minor or no change in blood pressure | 1 week of electric cycling ↓ carotid-femoral VOP by approximately 6%. 4-week trials show little change in BP. | Alessio et al. (2024) Hayward (2023) Bourne et al. (2018) Bini et al. (2024) |
| Activity volume | Electric bikes are often used more frequently and over longer distances. | Higher weekly cycling time and energy expenditure with electric-assisted bicycles vs. conventional bicycles among employees. Distance travelled is correlated with a ↓ in body mass and diastolic BP. | Stenner et al. (2020) Bini et al. (2024) Sundfør and Fyhri (2017) Castro et al. (2019) |
Table 1: Comparison of classic bicycles vs. electric bicycles
In sports, MET stands for “Metabolic Equivalent.” It is a unit of measurement for the intensity of physical activity that compares the energy expenditure of exertion to that of rest.
• 1 MET = oxygen consumption at rest (3.5 ml O2/kg/min).
• Light intensity: < 3 METs (e.g., slow walking).
• Moderate intensity: 3 to 6 METs (e.g., brisk walking, cycling).
• High intensity: > 6 METs (e.g., running, soccer).METs are used to calculate calorie expenditure (1 MET ≈ 1 kcal/kg/hour).
A large study of 10,000 users in seven major European cities shows that e-bike users engage in a similar total weekly physical activity (4,463 MET min/week) to conventional cyclists (4,085 MET min/week) and significantly more than non-cyclists (3,308 MET min/week). E-bike riders tend to cover longer distances and travel more frequently, which compensates for a lower intensity per minute, making it an effective form of moderate-intensity physical activity.
The main findings of this report are as follows:
• E-bike riders are highly active, with 97% meeting the WHO’s physical activity guidelines (more than 600 MET min/week), a percentage similar to that of conventional cyclists (96%).
• E-bike riders cover longer daily distances (approximately 9.4 km) than conventional cyclists (4.8 km per trip).
• While some users give up traditional cycling, many give up their cars, resulting in a significant increase in their overall daily physical activity.
• Although the intensity of e-bike rides is slightly lower than that of traditional cycling, they still constitute moderate to vigorous physical activity, offering significant health benefits.
Another important finding is that the e-bike users in this study were generally older and had a higher body mass index than conventional cyclists. E-bike users reported more active days per week (4.2 days) than conventional cyclists (4.0 days) and non-cyclists (3.2 days). These results indicate that e-bikes are not simply an easy alternative, but rather a powerful tool for active transportation, especially for those who wish to move away from sedentary modes of transport.
In a randomized study conducted in Germany, 101 office workers from four different companies were asked to use a conventional bicycle and then an e-bike (or vice versa) for two weeks. The number of bike rides was higher in the e-bike group than in the conventional bicycle group (5.3 ± 4.3 vs. 3.2 ± 4.0 rides/week), resulting in a greater total weekly cycling time for the e-bike group (174 ± 146 min per week) compared to the conventional bicycle group (99 ± 109 min per week). The mean heart rate during the e-bike rides was lower than that of the conventional bicycle group (109 ± 14 vs. 118 ± 17 bpm), and the perceived exertion was lower in the e-bike group (11.7 ± 1.8 vs. 12.8 ± 2.1 in the conventional bicycle group). Finally, weekly energy expenditure was higher during the e-bike period than during the regular cycling period (717 ± 652 vs. 486 ± 557 MET/min/week). Thus, it appears that e-bikes could represent a more effective mode of transport for promoting physical activity due to a sufficient increase in heart rate during their use.
What remains to be documented? As experts point out (see here, here and here), there are no studies yet that have tested the long-term effects (more than 6 to 12 months) on major cardiovascular events (accidents, mortality). The intensity could also prove insufficient to improve the physical condition of all users, especially if the assistance is significant and the outings are short.
In conclusion, despite pedal assistance, riding an electric bike is indeed a physical activity. However, it seems that this physical activity must be sustained at a threshold of between 3 and 6 METs and for at least 30 minutes per day to observe a tangible effect on cardiometabolic parameters, but these levels of energy expenditure remain to be confirmed. The big advantage of the electric bike is that it is accessible to the vast majority of people and that it eliminates two of the major excuses justifying a sedentary lifestyle:
• Lack of time is a common excuse for not exercising: electric bikes can be used for getting around, combining practicality with enjoyment;
• Using an electric bike becomes a pleasure, as it allows you to travel alone or in a group over distances or on inclines that would be inaccessible with a standard bicycle.