Muscle Fibers and Cycling

Skeletal muscle fiber adaptations are at the core of strength gains for cycling. Not all fibers react in the same way to stimuli; each has their own set of properties and their own response to training. Teams of fibers come together to generate force, with intensity and duration of the effort being major factors in determining which fibers are called upon. So, let us examine each fiber type as it relates to training intensity, fatigue and more.

In training, targeting specific intensities and durations will lead to adaptations in certain fibers more than in others. Neural adaptations contribute greatly to initial strength gains to help mediate growth. While some morphological changes happen initially, it can take 2-4 weeks or more to make long term gains in muscle, making consistency in training the key (1).