OBJECTIVE: To assess if active commuting with an electrically assisted bicycle (e-bike) during a 4-week period can induce increases in cardiorespiratory fitness measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in untrained, overweight individuals, and if these changes are comparable with those induced by a conventional bicycle. DESIGN: Four-week randomized pilot study. SETTING: Controlled laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two volunteers (28 men) participated. Seventeen (median age 37 years (interquartile range (IQR) 34 to 45), median body mass index (BMI) 29 kg/m2 (IQR 27 to 31)) were randomized to the e-bike group and 15 (median age 43 years (IQR 38 to 45), median BMI 28 kg/m2 (IQR 26 to 29)) to the Bike group. INTERVENTIONS: Participants in both groups were instructed to use the bicycle allocated to them (e-bike or conventional bicycle) for an active commute to work in the Basel (Switzerland) area at a self-chosen speed on at least 3 days per week during the 4-week intervention period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VO2peak was assessed before and after the intervention in an all-out exercise test on a bicycle ergometer. RESULTS: VOpeak increased by an average of 3.6 mL/kg/min (SD 3.6 mL/kg/min) in the e-bike group and by 2.2 mL/kg/min (SD 3.5 mL/kg/min) in the bike group, with an adjusted difference between the 2 groups of 1.4 mL/kg/min (95% confidence interval -1.4 to 4.1; p = 0.327). CONCLUSIONS: E-bikes may have the potential to improve cardiorespiratory fitness similar to conventional bicycles despite the available power assist, as they enable higher biking speeds and greater elevation gain.
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