Pedelecs (e-bikes with electrical support up to 25 km·h-1) are important in active transportation. Yet, little is known about physiological responses during their everyday use. We compared daily pedelec (P) and bicycle (B) use to determine if pedelecs are a suitable tool to enhance physical activity. In 101 employees, cycling duration and intensity, heart rate (HR) during P and B were recorded via a smartphone app. Each recording period was a randomized crossover design and lasted two weeks. The ride quantity was higher in P compared to B (5.3 ± 4.3 vs. 3.2 ± 4.0 rides·wk-1; p < 0.001) resulting in a higher total cycling time per week for P (174 ± 146 min·wk-1) compared to B (99 ± 109 min·wk-1; p < 0.001). The mean HR during P was lower than B (109 ± 14 vs. 118 ± 17 bpm; p < 0.001). The perceived exertion was lower in P (11.7 ± 1.8 vs. 12.8 ± 2.1 in B; p < 0.001). The weekly energy expenditure was higher during P than B (717 ± 652 vs. 486 ± 557 metabolic equivalents of the task [MET]·min·wk-1; p < 0.01). Due to a sufficient HR increase in P, pedelecs offer a more active form of transportation to enhance physical activity.
Keywords: active transportation; cycling; e-bike; heart rate; pedelec.