Optimizing cycling performance: A bibliographic analysis of EMG-based muscle research

Literature is replete with respect to bibliometric analysis of EMG in cyclists. From 1980 to 2024 only 164 studies were found to showcase the intricate relationship between muscle activation patterns and cycling performance. Cyclists are constantly working on their muscles, knowing how much is the improvement in strength and in which muscles is relevant for their daily regimen of practice.

We retrieved studies on EMG analysis on cyclists from Scopus database from 1980 to 2024 and then used Vos Viewer to perform a bibliometric analysis and attain knowledge mapping including publication outputs, journals, authors, countries, keywords, citations and collaborative relationships.

In total, 164 documents were published from 1980 to 2024. During this period the number of publications increased continuously. Journal of electromyography and kinesiology is the most productive and frequently co-cited journal. Interestingly, a high proportion of research appeared in top-tier (Q1) journals, often published by Elsevier. The most productive country in this field is the United States of America. Among the leading authors, Francois Hug was the most productive and influential author with 7 publications and 631 citations. The most common keywords were cycling (130), human (139), electromyography (113), adult (113), humans (109), bicycling (103), male (102), skeletal muscle (76), controlled study (62), muscle contraction (59), physiology (57), oxygen consumption (45), biomechanics (43).

This bibliometric analysis gives a systematic and comprehensive overview of electromyography analysis studies in cyclists from 1980 to 2024. USA, Francois Hug and Journal of electromyography and kinesiology being the most popular country, author and journal in this field respectively. Emerging muscle techniques for activation, strengthening and pain relief are the hotspots for future research in this field.