Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method

Jesús G. Pallares; David Barranco-Gil; Víctor Rodríguez-Rielves; Raúl de Pablos; Ángel Buendía-Romero; Alejandro Martínez-Cava; Francisco Franco-López; Iván R. Sánchez-Redondo; Jon Iriberri; Carlos Revuelta; José Ramón Lillo-Bevia; Pedro Valenzuela; Alejandro Lucia; Alejandro Hernández-Belmonte; Lidia Alejo

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790

eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X

Biology of Sport

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abstract:

Original paper

Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method

Jesús G. Pallares

¹

,

David Barranco-Gil

²

,

Víctor Rodríguez-Rielves

¹

,

Raúl de Pablos

²

,

Ángel Buendía-Romero

³

,

Alejandro Martínez-Cava

^{1, 4}

,

Francisco Franco-López

¹

,

Iván R. Sánchez-Redondo

²

,

Jon Iriberri

⁵

,

Carlos Revuelta

²

,

José Ramón Lillo-Bevia

¹

,

Pedro L. Valenzuela

^{3, 6, 7}

,

Alejandro Lucia

^{2, 6}

,

Alejandro Hernández-Belmonte

¹

,

Lidia B. Alejo

^{2, 6}

Human Performance and Sports Science Laboratory, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Department of Sports Sciences. Faculty of Medicine, Health and Sports, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
GENUD Toledo Research Group, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha. Toledo, Spain
High Performance Sport Center, Region de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Visma-Bikealease Professional Cycling Team, Den Bosch, Netherlands
Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre (“imas12”), Madrid, Spain
Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain

Biol Sport. 2025;42(3):185–195

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790

Online publish date: 2025/02/05

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AMA

Pallares J, Barranco-Gil D, Rodríguez-Rielves V, et al. Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method. Biology of Sport. 2025;42(3):185-195. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790.

APA

Pallares, J., Barranco-Gil, D., Rodríguez-Rielves, V., de Pablos, R., Buendía-Romero, Á.,  & Martínez-Cava, A. et al. (2025). Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method. Biology of Sport, 42(3), 185-195. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790

Chicago

Pallares, Jesús G., David Barranco-Gil, Víctor Rodríguez-Rielves, Raúl de Pablos, Ángel Buendía-Romero, Alejandro Martínez-Cava,  and Francisco Franco-López et al. 2025. "Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method". Biology of Sport 42 (3): 185-195. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790.

Harvard

Pallares, J., Barranco-Gil, D., Rodríguez-Rielves, V., de Pablos, R., Buendía-Romero, Á., Martínez-Cava, A., Franco-López, F., Sánchez-Redondo, I., Iriberri, J., Revuelta, C., Lillo-Bevia, J., Valenzuela, P., Lucia, A., Hernández-Belmonte, A.,  and Alejo, L. (2025). Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method. Biology of Sport, 42(3), pp.185-195. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790

MLA

Pallares, Jesús G. et al. "Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method." Biology of Sport, vol. 42, no. 3, 2025, pp. 185-195. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790.

Vancouver

Pallares J, Barranco-Gil D, Rodríguez-Rielves V, de Pablos R, Buendía-Romero Á, Martínez-Cava A et al. Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to 
increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling 
performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method. Biology of Sport. 2025;42(3):185-195. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.146790.

PlumX metrics:

This randomized controlled trial compared the effectiveness of high-intensity off- and on-bike resistance training (RT) in well-trained cyclists. Thirty-seven cyclists incorporated into their cycling routine a 10-week RT only differing in the exercise used: full squat (off-bike RT, n = 12) or high-intensity all-out pedaling efforts (on-bike RT, n = 12). RT variables like intensity (% maximal dynamic force, MDF), volume, sets, and rest were identical between groups. A third group of cyclists who continued their cycling routine but did not include additional RT stimuli was used as a control (n = 13). The cycling volume at each intensity zone was also matched between the three groups. No significant differences were found between off- and on-bike RT in any parameter. RT groups improved the maximal aerobic power (ES ≥ 0.37) and that attained at the respiratory compensation point (RCP, ES ≥ 0.20). The on-bike RT also significantly enhanced power attained at the ventilatory threshold (ES = 0.24). Off-bike MDF was meaningfully enhanced by both RT groups (ES ≥ 0.16), whereas the on-bike group also significantly increased pedaling MDF (ES = 0.67). Quadriceps size was significantly increased by the off-bike group (ES = 0.22), whereas the on-bike RT also tended to augment this parameter (ES = 0.15) and patellar tendon size (ES = 0.35). Improvements in both RT regimes for time-to-exhaustion capacity (ES ≥ 0.30) were considerable but not significant. The off-bike group tended to increase injury-related symptoms (ES ≥ 0.33). The control group significantly decreased off-and on-bike MDF (ES ≤ -0.40) and quadriceps size (ES = -0.26). These findings suggest that high-intensity on-bike RT is an effective alternative to off-bike RT to safely increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and cycling performance.

keywords:

Cyclists do not need to incorporate off-bike resistance training to increase strength, muscle-tendon structure, and pedaling performance: Exploring a high-intensity on-bike method

Strength training, Cycling, Torque, Hypertrophy, Performance, Injury