What's better for weight loss - riding an e-bike or walking to work?

I have a ten-mile journey to work. There is no public transport where I live so the options are limited to walking, cycling or taking the car. Add to that the time crunch of having to drop a child at school, and the options reduce further. Ten miles is too far to walk and time-consuming, and I’m too slow on an unassisted bike to get to work on time, so up until recently, I opted for the car. Then – I got an e-bike. With the assistance of the electric motor and the option to increase the power if needed, I can guarantee the length of my journey so I’m never late to work.

As a former competitive racer, I’ve still found that having an e-bike has been transformative for my health; instead of sitting in a car for 40 minutes a day, I now spend a little more than an hour exercising instead. Granted, it is not as much exercise as riding an unassisted bike, but it offers a time-efficient boost to fitness and changes a sedentary office day into one that is physically active and rewarding.

Given that an e-bike offers assistance, this calorie burn would be reduced if the same speed was maintained. However, e-bikes do not pedal themselves, the calorie burn will be dedicated by the mode the rider chooses to use – quality e-bikes will provide a low-power mode with less assistance and a high-power mode for more – and the speed they ride at, both factors influencing the intensity and thus calorific expenditure.

In my experience of using an e-bike I can achieve similar heart rates, calorie burn and ‘exercise minutes’ as recorded by a fitness watch whether I am on an e-bike or unassisted bike, the difference is that on the e-bike you go further in the same time frame, useful for commuting or enabling adventures further afield. Riders seeking to take off some of the physical load may choose to ride more slowly, at a lower heart rate, and that will impact calorie burn.

A systematic review of the health benefits of electrically assisted cycling showed that “e-cycling provided the physical activity of at least moderate intensity, which was lower than the intensity elicited during conventional cycling, but higher than that during walking.” Whilst walking may burn more calories per mile, due to the weight-bearing nature, some people may find they can up their intensity – thus calorie burn – more easily on the bike, and an e-bike makes this more accessible.

E-bikes carry some additional benefits over walking. Firstly, the lack of weight-bearing, coupled with the assistance of the motor, makes the activity more accessible to more people – including those who may struggle with the physical demands of walking long distances. A further benefit of the e-bike is that you can choose how much assistance you need, helping you to adapt your exercise to your current fitness levels. On the flat, opting for ‘eco’ mode means you are doing the majority of the work, using a little bit of ‘boost’ on a hill will mean you are contributing proportionally less than the motor but still stressing your cardiovascular system, which is far better than not tackling the hills at all! Non-assisted cycling and walking are the best choices, followed by using an e-bike, but all movement is better than none.

E-biking allows for a degree of pedalling which engages muscles, particularly in the legs and core, that are used less intensely during walking. Furthermore, e-biking is non-weight bearing and has a lower impact on joints compared to walking, making it a good choice for those with joint pain, mobility problems or arthritis, and both walking and e-cycling develop balance and coordination. The only big tick that walking gets over e-cycling is that it is a weight-bearing exercise, which is beneficial for bone health.

Most walkers will be able to carry a backpack, and perhaps a child for a limited duration. However, an e-bike and especially an e-cargo bike makes heavy loads or transporting small passengers easy! An e-bike makes the extra weight negligible so I can comfortably transport a laptop, lunch and more within pannier racks, or do a food shop on the way home. Therefore, e-biking gets extra points for convenience, here.

The choice between using an e-bike or walking ultimately depends on individual health goals, lifestyle, and personal preference. E-bikes offer an energy-efficient, joint-friendly option that can increase your daily activity and is especially appealing for long-distance travel. If an e-bike allows you to leave your car behind or skip public transport for several journeys a week, accumulatively, you will get more exercise, which is the type of behaviour seen in research.

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