Postural comparison between a conventional bicycle handlebar and an elliptical handlebar

Abstract

Introduction: Cycling has been encouraged, not only as a way to reduce environmental pollution but also to improve people’s health. For many, the bicycle is their sole form of transportation. In view of this growth, and potential risk of injury due to excessive bicycle use, an elliptical handlebar was developed with the purpose of modifying the hand and forearm grip and improving the rider’s posture. Objective: To compare vertebral spine angulations with the use of conventional and elliptical handlebars. Methods: Twenty-six individuals participated in this study, in which they pedaled for two minutes with elliptical handlebars and two minutes with conventional handlebars, in order to compare the angulation of the vertebral spine using each type of handlebars. The images were filmed and evaluated by the Kinovea kinematic evaluation program. The statistical analysis was performed by Graphpad Prism 7. Results: It was observed that 88% of the participants had a more upright vertebral spine angulation when using the elliptical handlebar, with statistically significant difference (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Bearing in mind that the handlebars were placed in similar support positions, it was observed, based on the quantified data, that the posture is more upright, and therefore more suitable, when using the elliptical handlebars. Level of Evidence II; Diagnostic Studies-Investigating a Diagnostic Test.