What does cycling do to your heart?

Your heart gets stronger from cycling

Your heart is a muscle. And just like any other muscle in your body, it weakens when you don't use it much. If you sit still all day, your heart barely has to work, and that's not doing it any favours in the long run.

The moment you start cycling, the opposite happens. Cycling scientist Joyce David (Ghent University) explains what takes place in your body.

What happens in your body?

Your heart rate goes up and your blood vessels widen, a process called vasodilation. This means oxygen and nutrients move through your body faster. If you cycle a few times a week, your heart muscle actually gets stronger. That, in turn, leads to a more powerful heartbeat, even better transport of oxygen and nutrients, and more flexible arteries.

What do you notice in the long run?

A lower resting heart rate, healthier blood pressure and a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, still one of the leading causes of death. Researchers call this cardiorespiratory fitness: how well your heart and lungs work together. It turns out to be one of the strongest predictors of how long, and how healthily, you live.

How much cycling is enough?

You don't need to run a marathon to gain more healthy years of life. About 20 minutes of cycling a day, to work, to the shop, wherever, is already more than enough to notice the difference.

Link to the study featured in the video: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21496106/

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