Cycling vs Running: Which Type of Exercise Is Better for You?

Cycling and running have their enthusiasts and defenders, who claim that their favorite activity is better, healthier, and more efficient. But is either one really a better use of your time and energy? Or is it a Beatles vs. Rolling Stones or Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi type of question? Let’s take a look at it.

You’ve probably come across the cycling vs. running debate before, given the huge popularity that both activities enjoy, not to mention their shared reputations as excellent ways to stay in shape. But when we look at them in terms of key issues like energy expenditure, muscle growth, impact on joints and financial cost, is there one real winner emerging from this debate?

Whether you’re thinking of switching from one sport to another, considering trying either for the first time, or thinking about buying a bike, exercise bike or treadmill for home use, here are some insights that we hope will help sort out your thoughts. While generally both activities offer similar results, there are some key differences between them that you should definitely be aware of.

Energy output

In our fast-paced world, efficiency is a top priority for many people. What will get you the best results for the time and energy you spend? According to exercise physiologist Professor Richard Davison, the results are generally similar unless you plan to exercise for long periods of time: “Metabolically, there is relatively little difference between the two methods. In both, it is possible to stress both the central and peripheral physiological systems, causing them to adapt and improve,” he explains.

However, Davison adds that cycling excels if you want to invest some time and really increase your calorie burn, mainly due to the reduced impact on your body. As Davison states, “With a relatively limited amount of training, it’s not that difficult to cycle for three to four hours, whereas running for that amount of time would require a significant amount of training to sustain the physical demands of running for that long. Additionally, recovery from a three-hour run could be quite challenging due to muscle and joint damage.”

Running to work in the morning requires much better physical fitness than cycling there

So this means that if you want to invest some time, cycling might be a better option for burning a lot of calories with less impact on your joints and muscles. As Davison says, “It’s generally accepted that professional cyclists expend more energy during exercise than anyone else on the planet, regularly exceeding 6,000 calories a day and doing so most days of the year, so if you’re looking to lose weight, cycling could potentially be a better option.”

Impact on muscles

While we’ve already discussed the impact on the joints, how about running and cycling in terms of the effects of both activities on your muscles? Running activates your muscles in a wider way than cycling, which at first seems like an advantage. However, as Davison points out, it also means that your muscles are being damaged in a wider range of ways, which likely leads to longer recovery times and increases the risk of injury.

“Cycling generally only involves shortening muscle activation (concentric), whereas running potentially involves concentric, eccentric and isometric contractions,” explains Davison.

“Activation of the latter two causes significantly more muscle damage due to the higher forces involved, thereby causing muscle pain.”

This doesn’t mean you should avoid running, as muscle damage is key to muscle growth, but you should factor it into your considerations about training frequency and the number of recovery days you need.

Bone density

All fitness enthusiasts, especially older ones (and even more so women), should take note now: cycling has little effect on improving bone density because it is not weight-bearing exercise. As we age, our bones weaken. And it is proven that it is weight training that increases the density of our bones.

“To slow down or stop the process of bone loss, we should do a series of weight-bearing exercises in combination with adequate nutrition,” explains Davison. “The fact that your weight is supported around can be an advantage in some cases, especially if you are overweight or have some joint problems, but it is also a disadvantage because your bones are not subjected to enough stress to maintain their structure and strength. Therefore, if your predominant form of exercise is cycling, it is advisable to occasionally include some weight-bearing exercise such as running or walking.”

As with everything, balance is key, but the bone strengthening requirement should be carefully balanced against the impact on joints and the risk of injury. If running is too strenuous for you, then walking or carefully planned resistance training are suitable alternatives.

Walking is a gentler alternative to running

Costs

Of course, cost is also a factor, with more economical forms of exercise often offering more appeal. Running is essentially a free form of exercise, although investing in quality running shoes is recommended to protect against injury. Still, even with this investment, the purchase of quality cycling equipment will of course cost much more.

As Davison states: “The most expensive bikes and other cycling equipment can easily exceed ten thousand pounds, while even some of the best running shoes and equipment would only cost hundreds of pounds. These differences would also be reflected in ongoing maintenance and replacement costs.”

However, if you’re looking for a home exercise machine, the best affordable exercise bikes tend to be much cheaper than even the most affordable treadmills.

Comfort

What about convenience? While engaging in both activities outdoors is easy enough, if you’re a gym-goer, you might be better off sticking to running. “Running in the gym is relatively easy, and most treadmills in gyms are of fairly good quality,” says Davison. “Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for exercise bikes. Most regular cyclists hate standard exercise bikes, which they find extremely uncomfortable, although there is now a very wide range of specific indoor trainers and online platforms that allow training indoors when it’s cold and/or wet outside.”

Even bad weather doesn’t have to be an obstacle if you want to travel healthily and sustainably

On the other hand, we know, for instance from the example of the Finns, that the weather certainly does not have to prevent you from your favorite outdoor activity. It just requires adequate equipment. With the days getting shorter, enough attention needs to be paid to being seen well. Whether you’re running or cycling.

And the verdict?

Overall, no matter which activity you choose to do, their benefits are generally similar, although cycling can help you burn more calories if you spend enough time doing it. As with any form of exercise, part of the fun is trying different things, challenging your body and seeing how it responds. And you don’t have to choose… who says you can’t do both?

Try for yourself if you are more of a cycling team or a running team as part of our September Challenge Bike, walk or jog to work. Find the right route and the right way of sustainable transport to the workplace and change your transport habits for the benefit of your physical and mental condition and for the better living environment of our cities. Accept the September challenge and join us in it too.