TY - JOUR AU - Buchholtz, Kim AU - Burgess, Theresa PY - 2020/09/08 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - An evaluation of bicycle-specific agility and reaction times in mountain bikers and road cyclists JF - South African Journal of Sports Medicine JA - SA J Sports Med VL - 32 IS - 1 SE - Articles DO - 10.17159/2078-516X/2020/v32i1a8576 UR - https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/sajsm/article/view/8576 SP - 1-5 AB - <div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><strong>Background</strong>: Cycling is a popular recreational and competitive sport with many health benefits but also significant risks, with 85% of recreational cyclists reporting an injury each season. The most common mechanism of injury is through a loss of control of the bicycle, and collisions with other objects. Reaction time and agility in cyclists may contribute to the ability to control a bicycle.</p><p><strong>Objectives</strong>: To evaluate bicycle-specific agility and reaction time in cyclists.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: The study was a cross-sectional observational study. Thirty-five cyclists (27 males, eight females) participated in this study. Participants attended a single testing session where they completed a bicycle-specific agility test, and online simple and choice reaction time testing while cycling at three different exercise intensities.</p><p><strong>Results</strong>: There was a significant difference in agility between males and females (p=0.01). There was also a significant difference in choice reaction time between cycling at ‘light’ and ‘very hard’ intensities (p=0.004), and a significant positive relationship between agility and simple reaction time at a ‘hard’ intensity.</p><p><strong>Discussion</strong>: Choice reaction time improved at ‘very hard’ cycling intensity, supporting the theory that increased exercise intensity improves cognitive arousal. This reaction time may be essential as a means to avoid collisions and falls from bicycles. Bicycle-specific agility appears to be related to simple reaction time, but there are no existing validated bicycle-specific agility tests available. The value of the tests undertaken by the authors needs to be assessed further.</p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Choice reaction time was significantly decreased in high intensity cycling compared to cycling at low intensities. Further prospective studies are needed to establish links between reaction times and bicycle-specific agility.</p></div></div></div></div> ER -