Key result
Single-leg cycling elicits ~11% greater power output and higher peak femoral blood flow versus double-leg cycling.
Why the study?
The study investigated whether improved performance during maximal self-paced single-leg compared with double-leg cycling is linked to enhanced femoral blood flow or altered tissue oxygenation across younger and older athletes.
Does single-leg cycling improve power output and femoral blood flow compared to double-leg cycling in endurance-trained athletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=24)
Does single-leg cycling improve power output and femoral blood flow compared to double-leg cycling in endurance-trained athletes?
Absolute Event Rate: 295% vs 265%
p-value: p=<0.001
Reducing active muscle mass via single-leg cycling improves exercise performance and femoral blood flow, though older athletes exhibit an attenuated hyperemic response compared to younger athletes despite regular endurance training.
May support single-leg protocols to augment blood flow in trained athletes; leaves open translation to clinical populations or practice change.
This study investigated whether the improved performance observed with maximal self-paced single-leg (SL), compared with double-leg (DL) cycling, is associated with enhanced femoral blood flow and/or altered tissue oxygenation. The hyperaemic response to exercise was assessed in younger and older athletes. Power output was measured in 12 older (65 ± 4 y) and 12 younger (35 ± 5 y) endurance-trained individuals performing 2 x 3 min maximal self-paced exercise using SL and DL cycling. Blood flow (BF) in the femoral artery was assessed using Doppler ultrasound and muscle oxygenation was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy on the vastus lateralis. SL cycling elicited a greater power output (295 ± 83 vs 265 ± 70 W, P < 0.001) and peak femoral BF (1749.1 ± 533.3 vs 1329.7 ± 391.7 ml/min, P < 0.001) compared with DL cycling. Older individuals had a lower peak BF in response to exercise (1355.4 ± 385.8 vs 1765.2 ± 559.6 ml/min, P = 0.019) compared with younger individuals. Peak BF in response to exercise was correlated with power output during SL (r = 0.655, P = 0.002) and DL (r = 0.666, P = 0.001) cycling. The greater exercise performance during SL compared with DL cycling may be partly explained by a greater hyperaemic response when reducing active muscle mass. Despite regular endurance training, older athletes had a lower femoral BF in response to maximal self-paced exercise compared with younger athletes.
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Haddad et al. (2024) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy endurance-trained athletes (n=24). Single-leg (SL) cycling vs. Double-leg (DL) cycling was evaluated on Power output (p=<0.001). Single-leg cycling elicited greater power output (295 vs 265 W, P<0.001) and peak femoral blood flow (1749.1 vs 1329.7 ml/min, P<0.001) compared with double-leg cycling.
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