Influence of age, sex, and body weight on the energy expenditure of bicycle riding

Abstract

Energy expenditure observations were made on 60 normal adult men and women, ranging in age from 20 to 52.2 years, while riding a narrow-tire bicycle at a previously determined average speed. Analysis of variance indicated that age had no effect on gross energy expenditure and that, when the latter was divided by total body weight, there was no significant difference between men and women. The results of multiple regression analysis confirmed the dominant effect of total body weight, in that neither the addition of age, height, body surface area, lean body weight, fat body weight, or tricep skinfold contributed significantly to the prediction of energy expenditure for the ride.