Electric bikes ‘as healthy as usual cycling’

Riding an electric bicycle is just as healthy as pedalling on a normal bike, a study has claimed.

Researchers looked at exercise intensity on so-called e-bikes compared to conventional cycles.

They concluded that using an e-bike has comparable health benefits to regular cycling – with even just a four-week training period boosting heart health fitness.

A team from the department of sport, exercise and health at the University of Basel, Switzerland, recruited 30 untrained volunteers who were overweight.

Participants rode at least six kilometres on at least three days per week, with half on a normal bike and the rest on an e-bike – which costs between £850 and £2,000.

After a month, they had their health tested again. Using ‘oxygen-uptake capacity’ as a marker, both groups had boosted their fitness level and heart health. The researchers said if this improvement was maintained, the risk of dying from a heart attack would be significantly cut.

Study co-author Professor Arno Schmidt-Trucksaess said: ‘Those who use e-bikes on a regular basis benefit permanently, not only in terms of their fitness, but also in terms of other factors such as blood pressure, fat metabolism, and overall mental well-being.’

The findings were published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.