Everyday Pedelec Use and Its Effect on Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines

Hedwig T. Stenner, Johanna Boyen, Markus Hein, Gudrun Protte, Momme Kück, Armin Finkel, Alexander A. Hanke and Uwe Tegtbur
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Hedwig T. Stenner: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Johanna Boyen: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Markus Hein: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Gudrun Protte: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Momme Kück: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Armin Finkel: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Alexander A. Hanke: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany
Uwe Tegtbur: Institute of Sports Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-9

Abstract: Pedelecs (e-bikes with electrical support up to 25 km·h −1 ) are important in active transportation. Yet, little is known about physiological responses during their everyday use. We compared daily pedelec (P) and bicycle (B) use to determine if pedelecs are a suitable tool to enhance physical activity. In 101 employees, cycling duration and intensity, heart rate (HR) during P and B were recorded via a smartphone app. Each recording period was a randomized crossover design and lasted two weeks. The ride quantity was higher in P compared to B (5.3 ± 4.3 vs. 3.2 ± 4.0 rides·wk −1 ; p < 0.001) resulting in a higher total cycling time per week for P (174 ± 146 min·wk −1 ) compared to B (99 ± 109 min·wk −1 ; p < 0.001). The mean HR during P was lower than B (109 ± 14 vs. 118 ± 17 bpm; p < 0.001). The perceived exertion was lower in P (11.7 ± 1.8 vs. 12.8 ± 2.1 in B; p < 0.001). The weekly energy expenditure was higher during P than B (717 ± 652 vs. 486 ± 557 metabolic equivalents of the task [MET]·min·wk −1 ; p < 0.01). Due to a sufficient HR increase in P, pedelecs offer a more active form of transportation to enhance physical activity.

Keywords: active transportation; heart rate; pedelec; e-bike; cycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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