TESTING RESULTS
WE WENT TO NORAXON TO HAVE SEVERAL TESTS PERFORMED LOOKING TO VERIFY THAT PEDALING IN A WIDER POSITION INCREASES THE ACTIVATION OF THE GLUTE, QUAD, AND HAMSTRING MUSCLES.
The testing was done utilizing the Noraxon Wireless Surface Electromyography (sEMG) system. Wireless sensors are attached to various sites on the body to measure muscle activity. Two tests were run. One at the normal pedaling position, and one at a wider pedal position (approximately 3.5-4.0 inches wider per side than the normal pedal position).
THE CHART BELOW SHOWS THE RESULTS OF TESTING THE VASTUS MEDIALIS (MIDDLE QUAD), VASTUS LATERALIS (LATERAL OR OUTSIDE QUAD), THE BICES FEMORIS (HAMSTRING MUSCLE) AND SEMITENDINOSIS (HAMSTRING MUSCLE) WHILE RIDING IN THE NORMAL PEDAL POSITIONING.
THE CHART BELOW SHOWS THE RESULTS OF TESTING THE VASTUS MEDIALIS (MIDDLE QUAD), VASTUS LATERALIS (LATERAL OR OUTSIDE QUAD), THE BICES FEMORIS (HAMSTRING MUSCLE) AND SEMITENDINOSIS (HAMSTRING MUSCLE) WHILE RIDING IN THE WIDER PEDAL POSITION.
THE ACTIVITY OF THE VASTUS LATERALIS INCREASED FROM
82.9 TO 666. THIS WAS A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER
INCREASE IN ACTIVITY THAN PROJECTED.
THE ACTIVITY OF THE BICEPS FEMORIS (HAMSTRING)
INCREASED FROM 843 TO 1,349.
THE ACTIVITY OF THE SEMITENDONIS (HAMSTRING)
INCREASED FROM 186 TO 266.
THE VASTUS MEDIALIS DECREASED FROM 431 TO 380
A MINOR BUT EXPECTED CHANGE RELATED TO LOAD
TRANSFER TO OTHER MUSCLES.
THE CHART BELOW SHOWS THE RESULTS OF TESTING THE
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS, GLUTEUS MEDIUS AND ADDUCTORS
(INNER THIGH) WHILE RIDING IN THE NORMAL
PEDAL POSITIONING.
THE CHART BELOW SHOWS THE RESULTS OF TESTING THE
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS, GLUTEUS MEDIUS AND ADDUCTORS
(INNER THIGH) WHILE RIDING IN THE WIDER PEDAL POSITION.
THE ACTIVITY OF THE GUTEUS MAXIMUS INCREASED
FROM 2,718 TO 3,969.
THE ACTIVITY OFTHE GLUTEUS MEDIAL INCREASED
FROM 60 TO 136.
THE ACTIVITY OF THE ADDUCTORS INCREASED
FROM 4,986 TO 5,101
The big takeaway from these two tests is undeniable: At the wider pedaling position there is much greater recruitment of the Glute, Quad, and Hamstring muscle groups.
Also, although it was not part of the test measurements
(we were only concerned with muscle recruitment) the test
subject's heart rate dropped approx. 20-30BPM when
pedaling in the wider position.
This is very significant because in both test runs the workload
was exactly the same. That means that in the wider pedal
position the subject was able to perform the same workload
with significantly less effort.
People using a wider pedal position will outperform
those using the standard position.
The muscle activity is measured in uV(micro volts) All of the testing was done at a crank speed of approx 90rpm with a resistance of 125 watts. The number that is the most relevant on our charts is Mean,uV because that's the average throughout the test run. On each page that's the vertical bar just to the right of the Analyzed Signal.