In a world where everyone is looking for the next best thing to do to boost their cycling performance, it is often easy to overlook some of the fundamentals. One example is resistance training for cyclists.
Performance
There is very good evidence that shows resistance training can improve cycling performance [1–3]. When applied appropriately, it leads to improvements in anaerobic and aerobic power as well as cycling economy[3]. These findings hold true for beginner to elite cyclists.
How this works is resistance training improves neuromuscular characteristics which strongly influence force generation, efficiency, and fatigue resistance of the legs. It improves the connection between your brain and your muscles which helps produce a strong co-ordinated activation of the necessary muscle fibers. Similarly, there tends to be a muscle fiber type shift from energy inefficient to more fatigue resistant fibers. Overall, this means your legs get much stronger and more efficient and producing power on the bike.
A vital point supporting this argument is that these adaptations are hard to achieve with just cycling training. Resistance training, therefore, provides an excellent supplement to cycling training. In some cases, it can even replace some of the weekly volume typically taken up by cycling and produce better improvements.
Myth Buster
One danger that most cyclists fear is increased total mass. Weight has a measurable impact on climbing performance and several other endurance performance outcomes. Unnecessary increases in weight are often undesired. Resistance training has a strong association with increases in muscle mass (hypertrophy) which would increase the total system mass. Interestingly, however, when resistance training is added to high volume cycling training, there is either very small or no changes in total body mass. More importantly, relative power output (W/kg) and VO2max (ml/kg/min) also remains unchanged across almost all studies. Put simply, when applied correctly, your performance relative to body mass remains intact (and is often better).
Injury risk
While research evidence is limited when it comes to the influence of resistance training on the risk of cycling-related injuries, it is no surprise that every injured cyclist is put through a resistance training rehabilitation program.
Overuse injuries tend to arise when the body’s physical capacity is exceeded by the load that is put on the body. For example, following dramatic increases in training load (intensity or volume). Resistance training provides a useful tool to help increase the physical capacity of the body which may help tolerate the increases in training load. It is important to note that no amount of gym work will protect you from a poorly structured program that pushes too much too soon.
References
1. Rønnestad BR, Mujika I. Optimizing strength training for running and cycling endurance performance: A review. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports2014;24(4):603–12. [23914932]
2. Yamamoto LM, Klau JF, Casa DJ, Kraemer WJ, Armstrong LE, Maresh CM. The effects of resistance training on road cycling performance among highly trained cyclists: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res [Internet] 2010;24(2):560–6. [https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77950600883&doi=10.1519%2fJSC.0b013e3181c86583&partnerID=40&md5=60c83c6eeb824d55abbde77c34f116a2]
3. Llanos-Lagos C, Ramirez-Campillo R, Sáez de Villarreal E. Heavy strength training effects on physiological determinants of endurance cyclist performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol 2025;
