Lower Body Muscles Used During Seated Cycling. How the Pedal Stroke Shapes Strength Training for Cyclists

Abstract: This article explores the lower body muscles used in cycling and how they function during the propulsive and recovery phases of the pedal stroke. By understanding these roles, you can better target your strength training to ensure it aligns with the specific demands of cycling performance.

Keywords: Lower Body Muscles Used in Cycling, Muscles Used in Cycling, Cycling Pedal Stroke, Cycling Performance

The first step in developing an effective off-bike strength training program is understanding which muscle groups contribute to the pedal stroke, and how they coordinate. This provides the foundation for purposeful programming, ensuring that the strength you build is specific, transferable, and directly relevant to cycling performance.

The pedal stroke can be divided into two main phases. The propulsive phase, from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock, is where most of the force is applied to generate forward movement. The recovery phase, from 6 o’clock back to 12 o’clock, repositions the leg and prepares the system for the next stroke. While power is produced in the propulsive phase, the effectiveness of the recovery phase determines how efficiently that power is applied.

It is important to note that the research referenced in this article primarily investigates muscle activation during controlled, seated pedalling conditions, providing a clear baseline for understanding how lower body muscles contribute to cycling performance.

So, what muscles are used in seated cycling, and how do they contribute to the pedal stroke?

Muscle Activity During the Propulsive Phase

During the propulsive phase, power production is driven by a coordinated sequence of muscle activity rather than a single muscle acting in isolation. The gluteus maximus plays a key role in hip extension, becoming active immediately after top dead centre and continuing through to approximately 130° of the crank, driving the early portion of the downstroke (Jorge & Hull, 1986; Dorel et al., 2009).

The quadriceps, particularly the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis, are dominant contributors early in the pedal stroke. These muscles extend the knee and deliver force into the pedal, remaining active from just before top dead centre through to approximately 90° (Jorge & Hull, 1986; Dorel et al., 2009; da Silva et al., 2016). The rectus femoris activates earlier, typically from around 250-270°, and continues into the early propulsive phase before terminating between 60-100°. This earlier onset reflects its role in preparing the system for force production rather than acting purely as a force generator.

The calf complex provides important support. The gastrocnemius is active across a large portion of the pedal stroke, from approximately 30° through to around 270°, assisting with ankle plantarflexion and force transmission. The soleus contributes more specifically between 45° and 135°, helping maintain ankle stability and stiffness (Dorel et al., 2009).

The hamstrings, including the biceps femoris and semimembranosus, contribute during the propulsive phase by supporting hip extension, assisting knee flexion, and coordinating force transfer between joints. The biceps femoris is active from approximately 45° through to just beyond bottom dead centre, while the semimembranosus becomes active slightly later, around 90°, continuing toward bottom dead centre (Dorel et al., 2009; da Silva et al., 2016).

The propulsive phase is therefore the result of a coordinated interaction between the hip, knee, and ankle musculature.

Muscle Activity During the Recovery Phase

The recovery phase determines whether efficiency is maintained or lost.

The hamstrings (biceps femoris and semimembranosus) remain active into the early recovery phase, assisting with knee flexion and guiding the leg upward after bottom dead centre (Jorge & Hull, 1986; Dorel et al., 2009). This continuity helps link the transition between phases and prevents a complete reset of movement.

As the crank approaches the top of the stroke, the tibialis anterior becomes the primary contributor, active from approximately 270° through to just past top dead centre. Its role is to dorsiflex the ankle, lifting the foot and reducing resistance against the rising pedal (Jorge & Hull, 1986; Dorel et al., 2009).

The rectus femoris also becomes active toward the end of the recovery phase, around 250-270°, contributing to hip flexion and preparing the system for the next propulsive phase. This overlap reinforces the continuous nature of pedalling.

The hip adductors contribute more than often assumed. The adductor magnus demonstrates a similar activation pattern to the vastus lateralis, contributing across both phases of the pedal stroke, while the adductor longus shows greater involvement during the recovery phase (Watanabe, 2009). Rather than acting as primary power producers, they help stabilise the pelvis, control femoral movement, and support efficient transitions between strokes, with an increasing role as fatigue develops.

The recovery phase is not passive. It is an active process that removes resistance and positions the lower limbs for effective force application. When poorly coordinated, through excessive resistance (negative torque) or mistimed muscle activation, you begin to work against your own movement, increasing energy cost and reducing the effectiveness of the next downstroke.

Conclusion

While there is a consistent pattern of muscle activity during pedalling, individual differences and bike position can influence how these muscles are recruited. These variations are important but sit beyond the scope of this article.

You now have a clear understanding of the primary muscle groups involved in seated pedalling and how they contribute across both phases of the pedal stroke. During the propulsive phase, force is driven by the gluteus maximus (hip extension; gluteal muscle group), vastus medialis and vastus lateralis (knee extension; quadriceps muscle group), and the calf complex, including the gastrocnemius and soleus (ankle plantarflexion). The rectus femoris (hip flexion and knee extension; quadriceps muscle group) contributes across both phases.

During the recovery phase, movement is supported by the biceps femoris and semimembranosus (knee flexion and hip extension; hamstring muscle group), alongside the tibialis anterior (ankle dorsiflexion). The hip adductors, particularly the adductor magnus and adductor longus, contribute across both phases, supporting hip extension, femoral control, pelvic stability, and force transfer, especially as fatigue develops.

This is what allows strength training to become specific and transferable.

If you are not considering which muscles are contributing, when they are active, and how they function within the pedal stroke, strength training becomes general rather than targeted. By using this knowledge to guide exercise selection and programming, you can align your gym work with the muscular demands of cycling. This is what allows strength to transfer to the bike and ultimately determines how effectively you produce and sustain power.

Build Strength That Actually Transfers to the Bike

If your strength training isn’t improving your power, efficiency, or sprint performance, the problem isn’t effort, it’s application.

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References

1. da Silva JCL, Tarassova O, Ekblom MM, Andersson E, Rönquist G, Arndt A (2016) Quadricep and hamstring muscle activity during cycling as measured with intramuscular electromyography. European Journal of Applied Physiology116: 1807-1817

2. Dorel S, Couturier A, Hug F (2009) Influence of different racing positions on mechanical and electromyographic patterns during pedalling. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 19:44-54

3. Hug F, Dorel S (2009) Electromyographic analysis of pedaling: A review. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 19 (2): 182-198

4. Watanabe K, Katayama K, Ishida K, Akima H (2009) Electromyographic analysis of hip adductor muscles during incremental fatiguing pedaling exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology 106 (6): 815-825