E-Bike Versus Classic Bike Intervention Trial (E-bike)

University of Basel

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity; Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Commuting to work

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02495740

EKNZ 2012/164

Details and patient eligibility

About

The effects of active commuting with an e-bike, as compared with a "classic" bike, on cardiorespiratory fitness and vascular health are largely unknown. To assess whether active commuting with an e-bike or a classic bike increases peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) in untrained and overweight individuals.

Full description

Riding an electrically assisted bicycle (e-bike) is thought to be suitable to increase physical activity in daily life, to promote health, and to increase cardiorespiratory fitness in normal-weight individuals. The positive effect of commuting to work by a normal bike on cardiorespiratory fitness has been shown to be an important predictor of cardiovascular mortality in previous studies. We thought to improve maximal oxygen uptake by commuting to work by e-bike vs. classic bike. Besides cardiorespiratory fitness we assessed arterial stiffness as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

Enrollment: 33 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

body mass index 25-35 kg/m2, and willingness to commute to work by e-bike or by normal bike at least 3 times per week with a one-way distance of ≥ 6 km.

Exclusion criteria

cycling as a leisure-time activity, active commuting to work or exercise training more than once per week within 4 weeks before the start of the study, uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases limiting cardiorespiratory fitness, stage II arterial hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 160 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure > 95 mmHg), renal diseases, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c > 6.5%), or active malignancy or chemotherapy during the past 6 months.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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33 participants in 2 patient groups

E-bike intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Intervention is active commuting to work by an electric assisted bike to work for a period of 4 weeks at least 3 times per week with a minimal distance of 6 km per way

Treatment:

Behavioral: Commuting to work

Bike intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

Intervention is active commuting to work by classic bike for a period of 4 weeks at least 3 times per week with a minimal distance of 6 km per way

Treatment:

Behavioral: Commuting to work