Authors
Saryu Onishi, Department of Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Fatemeh Kochackpour, Department of Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Grant A. Chesbro, Department of Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Bianca A.R. Galletti, Department of Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Rebecca D. Larson, Department of Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Daniel J. Larson, Department of Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
International Journal of Exercise Science 19(6): 6011, 2026.
Abstract
Stability of the body is crucial in cycling to minimize injury risk while maximizing efficiency of power transfer. The present study examined how increasing cycling intensity influences upper-body stability and whether stability differs by experience level. Twenty cyclists (8 competitive, 12 recreational) completed a graded exercise test (GXT) to exhaustion while wearing three inertial movement units (IMU) that measured the angle of the head, torso, and pelvis. Angle variance in each stage was calculated to quantify upper-body position stability across stages. Angle variance of head, torso, and pelvis angle increased with exercise intensity (p = 0.003, η²p = 0.27; p = 0.059, η²p = 0.17; p = 0.004, η²p = 0.29, respectively), but these changes did not differ between the two experience levels (p > 0.1, η²p < 0.01). Additionally, a pairwise comparison showed that the changes in angle variance mainly occurred at the final stages of the GXT. These findings suggest that maximal workloads compromise upper-body stability in cyclists, a pattern that is statistically similar across experience levels. Limitations include modest sample size (n=20) and analysis based on stage number rather than physiological intensity markers, both of which may have limited detection of experience-level differences. Future research should utilize balanced experience groups and integrate metabolic markers in the analysis.
Recommended Citation
Onishi, Saryu; Kochackpour, Fatemeh; Chesbro, Grant A.; Galletti, Bianca A.R.; Larson, Rebecca D.; Larson, Daniel J. (2026) “Maximal Cycling Intensity Compromises Upper Body Postural Stability Regardless of Experience Level,” International Journal of Exercise Science, 19(6):6011.