If you enjoy endurance sports and racing, you probably jump back and forth between running and cycling. But if you look at the level of fitness required when comparing the two, there are shocking, drastic differences.
You may struggle to keep your fitness level when you change from cycling to running. Each sport has some clear differences in movement and energy use. Sure, you may have great endurance and stamina while running and pounding the pavement, but hop on a bike, and you’re gassed quite quickly. Sort of interesting, right?
In this article, we are going to look at running and cycling, the key differences, the muscles each works, how each translates into the other (if at all), and a deeper dive into whether one form is better than the other for overall fitness.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements to your current regimen.
Running vs Cycling: Why These Endurance Sports Don’t Fully Translate
From a mechanical standpoint, your body moves differently when comparing the two sports. The position you’re in is different, you’re activating different muscles, and surprisingly, despite both being great for endurance and cardiovascular health, they really don’t fully translate.
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Running is a high-impact activity that engages your hamstrings, calves, glutes, and core stabilizers. Those with ankle, knee, or hip issues will quickly find out that running may not be the best option for them due to the repetitive impact of the ground pounding their joints. Therefore, cycling may be a better option.
Cycling, on the other hand, primarily stresses your quads and offers low-impact cardio exercise. This is great for those who can’t beat feet and pound the pavement day in and day out. Unfortunately, cycling causes the individual to skip hitting other muscle groups that are hit when running.
Running can raise your heart rate quickly, which often makes central fatigue a factor. Cycling shows more ventilation impairment that can affect performance. When you think about it, it makes sense. Due to more muscles being activated when running (on top of having to absorb and push against your body weight when hitting the ground), you’re going to get gassed more quickly.
Cycling is great for endurance, but depending on the terrain (think along the lines of going downhill), you don’t need to work as hard and have more time to catch your breath and recover.
Both running and cycling workouts demand strong biomechanics that require very specific training methods. Running produces a high delta efficiency that drives you hard, while cycling spares your joints and offers a steady pace.
Energy Systems Used In Running Vs Cycling: Aerobic Vs Muscular Endurance
Cycling utilizes muscle fibers that generate power, while running employs type I fibers to maintain stability.
High-intensity interval training and aerobic exercise boost your stamina and can lower body fat levels. Cyclists tend to build muscle through resistance exercises, targeting the quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core.
One thing to note that is surprisingly overlooked when comparing the two activities is that running not only works your muscles for endurance, but it also helps improve bone mineral density.
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You may find that cycling better boosts your muscular endurance and strength in the lower body. You push through physical activity with a focus on cardiovascular fitness.
Many ask: Does cycling help with running, or is biking better than running?
That’s an interesting question, as both sports activate different energy systems and offer unique benefits, so if you had the choice, I would recommend that you mix your workouts to boost your overall fitness as a whole. It would be like asking if apples or oranges are better for you. Both are fruits, but each piece of fruit has its benefits, and both should be consumed.
Impact and Joint Load: Weight-Bearing Vs. Low-Impact Cardio
When you run on weight-bearing surfaces, it impacts your entire body (in both a good and bad way, depending on how you look at it). You work hard and push yourself with cardio sessions and strength training to sharpen your overall fitness level.
The only downside is that you risk potential joint injuries and stress fractures from high-impact runs. But you get one heck of a great endurance workout from running.
In comparison, you can ride a bike for low-impact cardio that spares your joints. I experienced less pain and faster recovery when I shifted to bike rides during tough training days. You target the lower body and boost your VO2 max with regular cycling.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m old, but pounding the pavement reminds me that I’m not in my teens or 20s anymore. My joints hurt for days, and it forces me to hop on a bike instead of pounding the pavement. But your “mileage” may vary on how you feel when partaking in running vs cycling.
For my endurance athletes that I train, I have to keep the same thing in mind. What will benefit them most and have the least negative effect on their body? Do they have knee issues? How is their posture? There’s a lot that needs to go into planning the best programs for clients to get the best results while also keeping them safe.
What Muscles Cycling and Running Work and Why That Matters
You work different muscles when you compare running vs cycling, and each uniquely builds your strength and endurance. Let’s take a deeper look at what muscles are involved in each form of cardio.
What Muscles Does Cycling Work?
Cycling works your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, hip flexors, and core. It builds strong leg muscles with each pedal stroke. A benefit of cycling is that it provides you with a low-impact cardio workout that helps burn calories and can boost cardiorespiratory fitness.
Riding a bike helps with added resistance that feels a lot like weight training (at least when it comes to your lower body). The repetitive motion primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, resulting in increased muscle mass over time.
When considered as a whole, cycling helps improve lean muscle mass in the lower body and can support better weight management and lower body fat levels. This particular form of cardio exercise can protect your joints and reduce the risk of knee pain.
What Muscles Does Running Work?
The main thing you’re doing when running is working your leg muscles as you push your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and core stabilizers with each stride of this high-impact cardio form. Running is an excellent way to build aerobic power and enhance your overall cardiovascular strength.
While clearly easier to run on a flat surface, uphill runs burn more calories and increase oxygen consumption, which helps your aerobic training and cardiac output.
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If you’re thinking about taking running to the next level and competing in races (or even jumping into something like a marathon or triathlon), it would be wise to work with a trainer or coach who can put together a program that allows you to steadily see improvements and get you ready for race day. Doing it alone without a plan can lead to injury.
But what about going granular and looking at muscle fiber recruitment and activation differences when comparing running and cycling? Are there points of differentiation?
There are absolutely differences when you compare the two.
Running uses type I muscle fibers to support steady movement. It recruits slow fibers that work long and hard. Central fatigue rises during long runs and shows in every stride. When you look at the big picture, running burns a lot of energy because it has a higher delta efficiency.
Cycling taps into different muscle fibers for bursts of power that you can’t hit when running unless you shift the movement into a sprint. Fast muscle fibers support your push and cranking on the bike.
Does Cycling Help Running? Or Is Biking Better Than Running?
When you look at running vs cycling, is there a mutual “handshake” where one helps the other and vice versa? If you cycle, does it improve your running? If you run, can it enhance your cycling? Is cross-training the way to go?
After all, you can use cycling to build steady aerobic strength and support mental health through low-impact rides. You can also leverage running to improve plyometric exercise and high-impact muscle work.
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Let’s look at how cycling can add value to your running training. I’ve witnessed this first-hand through my endurance clients and watched as they experienced benefits when you mix running and cycling rather than looking at it as an “either-or.”
Below are some key points:
- Cycling can help relieve pressure on your joints and reduce repetitive stress by engaging different muscles.
- Training on a bike provides your body with a low-impact workout that helps your legs recover.
- High-intensity cycling may enhance cardiovascular endurance and contribute to improved performance during runs.
- A mix of workouts can help lower the risk of cardiovascular issues and support a strong aerobic base, even on tired legs.
- Cross-training incorporates plyometric exercises into your routine, potentially enhancing your muscle endurance and agility.
- EndurElite supplements support your cardiovascular efforts by offering products that enhance your performance in both cycling and running.
- The blend of workouts (cross-training) can help sharpen mental health and improve appetite control, which may affect and improve your eating habits.
- Cycling intervals help improve muscular endurance and complement running without replacing it.
You also have some situational advantages through cross-training that many people never fully understand the relationship between the two forms of cardio.
Below are some of the situational advantages as they relate to injury prevention, recovery days, and aerobic base building:
- Cycling helps you prevent injuries while easing joint stress. It creates a low-impact option and supports an exercise schedule, such as 3–5 days a week, that reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
- Cycling is ideal for an active recovery day, helping to reduce muscle soreness from previous training sessions. It allows you to work out with less intensity and gives your legs rest from the high impact of running.
- Cycling helps build your aerobic base and boosts cardiovascular endurance. It pairs well with strength training 2 or more days per week and supports training programs that leverage the power of EndurElite products.
So, does cycling help running? Yes, but only in some areas.
Cycling builds your cardiovascular strength. It boosts stamina with long intervals that help improve your running times. It provides you with a low-impact workout and helps protect your joints from the constant pounding. You may see improvements in cardiovascular endurance as well as through the use of proper cross-training.
Training on a bike and running on a track engages different muscles. Transitioning between the two calls for care because they stress your body in unique ways. That said, you can combine both to help reduce the risk of injury and improve your overall fitness level.
Jumping to the other side of the coin, is cycling better than running? Again, the answer can be yes, but it depends on your fitness goals.
For instance, if you want to boost leg strength, cycling is better than running. If you want a form of cardio that won’t potentially bang up your joints, cycling would be a better option as well.
Conclusion
Here’s the bottom line: cycling fitness hardly carries over to running and vice versa. Is there a difference or benefit to running vs cycling? Yes. Cross-training, as an example, is perfect if you plan on incorporating running and cycling into your training program.
But if you cycle, does that mean you’re going to be a good runner? No. If you are a great runner, does that mean you’re going to be a good cyclist? No.
Your body uses distinct energy systems, muscles, and biomechanics for running and cycling. You also affect the joints differently, which could potentially have a negative effect based on your current joint health.
Should you focus on one over the other? No, not necessarily. Since they both have impressive benefits, I would recommend incorporating both and getting the best from both worlds by cross-training.
All that being said, in the end, you need to choose the form of cardio that fits you best and stick with a routine to get the best results possible from your efforts.
Resources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19290675/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24205037_Physiological_Differences_Between_Cycling_and_Running
- https://rinascltabike.com/cycling/benefits/versus-running/
- https://marathonhandbook.com/cycling-for-runners/
Author:
Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN, is the owner of Weik Fitness. He is a globally recognized and prolific writer. With a passion for creating health and fitness content, Matt’s work has been featured on thousands of websites, over 100 magazines, and he has authored over 20 published books.
