Health Benefits of Cycling

(Medical News Today, 2010)

“Children who cycle to school are more physically active and fit than those who use other modes of transport, according to new research from the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.”

Bicycle Almanac (Bicycle Universe, )

“Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks. “The gain of ‘life years’ through improved fitness among regular cyclists, and thus their increased longevity exceeds the loss of ‘life years’ in cycle fatalities. An analysis based on the life expectancy of each cyclist killed in road accidents using actuarial data, and the increased longevity of those engaging in exercise regimes several times a week compared with those leading relatively sedentary lives, has shown that, even in the current cycle hostile environment, the benefits in terms of life years gained, outweigh life years lost in cycling fatalities by a factor of around 20 to 1.” — Mayer Hillman, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Policy Studies Institute, and British Medical Association researcher”

(Alliance for Biking & Walking, 2010)

“States with the lowest levels of biking and walking have higher traffic fatalities and chronic disease”

Sharing Road Space (Granville et al., 2001)

Scotland has a long record of poor health, much of which could be reduced if people were to take more exercise. Cycling, as either a form of transport or as a leisure activity, provides a moderate level of exercise and helps to develop cardiovascular fitness.

(Hillman, 1997)

Cyclists who cover at least 40 kilometres each week halve their risk of heart disease when compared with those who do not cycle.

(BUPA, 2009) – Cycling and health

One rough calculation suggests that new cyclists covering short distances can reduce their risk of death (mainly due to the reduction of heart disease) by as much as 22 per cent.
A 15-minute bike ride to and from work five times a week burns off the equivalent of 11 pounds of fat in a year.
Cycling can have positive effects on how we feel too.
The strength and co-ordination that regular cycling brings make injuries less likely.
…study found that aerobic fitness was boosted by 11 per cent after just six weeks of cycling ‘short distances’ four times a week.
Cyclists and pedestrians actually absorb lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes than car drivers.

(Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2012)

Each kilometre walked per day decreases the risk of obesity by 4.8%
Bike commuting can reduce the risk of premature mortality by approximately one-third
Moderate activity (about 30 min/day, 5 days/week) has been associated with decreased rates of mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, breast cancer and colon cancer
Cyclist and pedestrians breathe less concentrated air pollution than drivers (they’re farther away from the cars but they breathe fast and may inhale more)
Despite the ill-effects of air pollution and injury, the benefits of cycling are still 7 times greater than the risks

(Cavill & Davis, 2008b).

Benefits to health: a key motivator for cycling
- A survey by the DfT of motorists, who had recently reduced some of their short car journeys, showed that 34% had done so to get more exercise compared to 8% who had done it to help the environment or the 2% who wanted to help reduce congestion.
- Cycling to and from work is considered to be more acceptable and cost-effective than formal work-site exercise classes. Other advantages to employers, reported in a UK survey include improved employee morale, higher productivity and loyalty, and reduced costs associated with car parking provision. In addition, there is also evidence for reduced absenteeism among employees who are physically active on one or more days per week

(Royal College of Nursing, 2007)

One study found that people who cycle to work experienced a 39 per cent lower rate of mortality compared with those who did not, even after adjustment for other risk factors, including leisure time physical activity (Andersen et al 2000).
Cycling for an additional 30 minutes on most days of the week, combined with reducing calorie intake, can achieve weight loss comparable to that achieved by doing three aerobic classes a week.
Cycling is also particularly well suited to over-weight or obese people, as approximately 70 per cent of body weight is borne by the saddle, thus providing the required cardiovascular exercise without putting excess strain on the musculoskeletal system.

(Reynolds, 2009a) – Is Bicycling Bad for Your Bones

Various studies confirming that competitive cyclists have significantly less bone density than age-matched controls
- Exact reasoning remains unknown
- For recreational cyclists: not worry, training regimen is much different (no runs, no weightlifting, etc.)

(Reynolds, 2009b) – Phys Ed – Do More Bicyclists Lead to More Injuries

Surgeons in Denver collected data from 1995-2000 and 2001-2006
- Found that the severity of bodily damage had increased, number of chest injuries rose 15%, and abdominal injuries tripled. Length of cyclists’ time in ICU grew
“What we concluded was that a lot of these people were commuters,” Dr. Kashuk said, adding, “If we keep promoting cycling without other actions to make it safer, we may face a perfect storm of injuries in the near future.”
“…the Denver study seemed to indicate that getting more people to ride meant more would be hurt.
- But that is not necessarily so, a well-established body of counterintuitive science promises. This research, which has examined bicycle-riding patterns in the United States and in Europe, has found that in virtually every instance, when the number of riders on the road increases, the likelihood of accidents declines. This surprising result is known among its researchers as the “safety in numbers” effect, and it has been repeatedly documented.”
“How can more cyclists mean fewer accidents? “It seems unlikely that people walking or bicycling obey traffic laws more” just because more of them are on the streets, the author of the California study wrote. “Adaptation in motorist behavior seems more plausible.” In other words, when more cyclists show up on the roads, car drivers become used to them and respond appropriately.
- There is a Catch-22 in that proposition, of course, and studies like the one from Denver underscore the issue’s complexity. In the early stages of increasing bike ridership, injuries may increase, as may their severity, since drivers will not yet be acclimated to the influx of two-wheeled traffic (and many of the early-adapter riders will not be attuned to the nuances of negotiating in traffic)
- What, then, can be done? No solutions are easy, said Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and an avid cyclist who, with others in his department, is studying how best to increase bicycle safety.”
“Finally, do not assume that, should you dutifully follow the rules, you are freed from constant vigilance. Individual driving behavior, no matter how many cyclists ride, will always remain unpredictable, if not perverse. Consider the results of a 2007 study from Britain, which found that, when cyclists skipped wearing helmets, drivers yielded more of the road to them while passing; if the cyclists did don their helmets, the drivers tended to crowd dangerously close.”

(Toronto Public Health, 2012) – Road to Health: Improving Walking and Cycling in Toronto

- One US study found that men who walk or cycle to work were half as likely to be obese (Gordon-Larsen et al. 2009). Another US study found that every additional kilometre walked per day is associated with a 4.8% reduction in obesity. In contrast, every additional hour spent in a car each day is associated with a 6% increase in the likelihood of obesity (Frank et al. 2004).
- According to Basset et al. (2008), at the population level, countries with higher rates of active transportation and transit use have lower obesity rates, as illustrated in Figure 1.

A meta-analysis concluded that active commuting is associated with an 11% reduction in cardiovascular risk. High levels of walking for transportation have been associated with a 31% decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Physical activity has been found to reduce the overall relative risk of colon cancer by 24%. Active commuting in particular has also been associated with significant reductions in the risk of breast cancer.
Physical activity has also been found to reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety and panic disorders, with beneficial effect equal to meditation or relaxation.
Research also suggests that physical activity can improve mental health in people without specific disorders. There is evidence that increasing physical activity can improve multidimensional self-esteem (McAuley et al. 2000), improve mood, reduce stress (Fox 1999 and Taylor 2000), and enhance perceptions of happiness and satisfaction (Taylor 2000)
In a meta-analysis of 80 large cohort studies, people who received 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week have a 14% reduction in mortality, while people who received 300 minutes of physical activity experienced a 26% reduction in mortality.
Studies conclude that the health benefits of shifting to active transportation outweigh the health risks – by at least a 15:1 ratio.