Cycling cadence selections at different saddle heights minimize muscle activation rather than energy cost

Unlike walking and running, people do not consistently choose cadences that minimize energy consumption when cycling. This suggests either that the neural control system for locomotion relies on indirect sensorimotor cues to energetic cost that are approximately accurate during walking but not cycling, or that an alternative objective function applies that correlates with energy expenditure in walking but not cycling. This study compared how objective functions derived as proxies to (i) energy cost or (ii) an avoidance of muscle fatigue predicted self-selected cycling cadences (SSC) at different saddle heights. Saddle height systematically affected SSC, with lower saddles increasing SSC and higher saddles decreasing SSC (n = 12). Both fatigue-avoidance and energy-expenditure cost functions derived from muscle activation measurements showed minima that closely approximated the SSCs. By contrast, metabolic power derived from VO2 uptake was minimal at cadences well below the SSC across all saddle height variations. The mismatch between the cadence versus muscle activation and the cadence versus metabolic energy relations is probably owing to additional energy costs associated with performing mechanical work at higher cadences. The results suggest that the nervous system places greater emphasis on muscle activation than on energy consumption for action selections in cycling.