The effect of exercise on a bicycle ergometer with a toe-heel pedal

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to myoelectrically verify the effect of exercise on a bicycle ergometer with a newly developed toe-heel pedal. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 12 healthy adults (24 limbs) without any disability in the lower limbs. We evaluated the integrated electromyograms (iEMG) of the quadriceps femoris and the flexor digitorum brevis during the pressing down on the toe-heel pedal and compared them with those recorded on the flat pedal. [Results] The average iEMG of the quadriceps femoris during the pedaling action was significantly higher for the toe-heel pedal at 5.49 ± 3.06 than that for the flat pedal at 1.75 ± 2.17. The average iEMG of the flexor digitorum brevis during the pedaling action was higher for the toe-heel pedal at 2.39 ± 0.73 than that for the flat pedal at 1.86 ± 1.83. [Conclusion] We showed that exercise on an ergometer with the toe-heel pedal can effectively achieve facilitation of muscle contraction throughout the lower limb including the thighs as well as muscular training of the plantar muscles.