How Good is Bicycling? This Good . . .

Two studies published recently in major peer-reviewed medical journals quantify how bicycling lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Bicycling for People Age 50+

A research team from the University of Southern Denmark included nearly 54,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 65.(1) Researchers tracked the overall exercise habits, activity levels, and frequency of bicycle riding, along with heart disease factors such as age, weight, diet, blood pressure, smoking, and alcohol consumption of the participants. The bikers were found to have a 26% lower risk of developing coronary artery disease compared to non-bikers. In addition, bike riders had fewer heart attacks during the 20-year follow-up period.

Bicycling for Middle-age Adults

A separate study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, followed nearly 24,000 middle-aged Swedes.(2) Bicyclers proved 13% less likely to develop high blood pressure, 15% less likely to have high cholesterol, 12% less likely to have pre-diabetes or diabetes, and 15% less likely to be obese. All of these are key risk factors that lead to more serious cardiovascular problems and diseases.

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References

1. Blond K, Jensen MK, Rasmussen MG, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Østergaard L, Grøntved A. Prospective study of bicycling and risk of coronary heart disease in Danish men and women. Circulation. 2016 Nov 1;134(18):1409-11.
2. Grøntved A, Koivula RW, Johansson I, Wennberg P, Østergaard L, Hallmans G, Renström F, Franks PW. Bicycling to work and primordial prevention of cardiovascular risk: a cohort study among Swedish men and women. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2016 Oct 31;5(11): e004413.