Effects of Cycling-Induced Fatigue on Lower Extremity Coordination, Variability, and Proprioception in Semi-Skilled Male Cyclists

Background: The research aims to investigate the impact of a single bout of functional fatigue on proprioception, coordination, and variability among lower extremity joints and segments in semi-skilled male cyclists. Cycling is recognized as a sport in both professional and public contexts, yet excessive activity and fatigue pose significant risks for injury during pedaling.Methods: The present study utilized a semi-experimental design employing a pretest-posttest method. It involved 24 randomly selected semi-skilled male cyclists with a mean age of 26.32±5.72 years. Before inducing fatigue through cycling, participants underwent pretest and posttest assessments to evaluate coordination and variability among segments of the lower extremities and proprioception of the knee and ankle joints. These assessments were conducted using a three-dimensional optoelectronic system with six cameras operating at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz. This system facilitated the acquisition of kinematic data related to the lower extremities. Statistical analysis included a one-way repeated measures ANOVA test and dependent t-test to compare all variables.Results: The significance level in all statistical tests was set at 0.05. The findings indicated a significant increase in knee and ankle proprioception (P < 0.001) as well as coordination and variability among lower extremity segments (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The presence of heightened proprioceptive errors in the joints, decreased coordination, and increased variability between segments indicates their association with sports injuries. Consequently, prolonged cycling and fatigue may contribute to an elevated prevalence and diversity of sports injuries among semi-skilled cyclists.