The Core: Central to Ultra-Distance Cycling Success?

The American College of Sports Medicine and the United States Department of Health and Human Services recommend that healthy adults complete a core exercise routine at least twice a week. They specifically advocate core training as a means to improve stability and maintain mobility. The core is involved in every movement, either by initiating or transferring force and core muscles are continually active in everyday activities such as sitting, standing, walking and reaching.

It would therefore be logical that when considering ultra-distance cyclists, who demand a lot from their bodies for enormous periods of time, having a strong and stable core is imperative. But still, many overlook incorporating a core training routine into their training schedule.

Through this article, I intend to explore the evidence for core training and provide some practical recommendations for ultra-distance cyclists. I will begin by defining the core and highlighting the important difference between core exercises and strength training. There is a common acceptance that the core is important for numerous reasons, but how much evidence is there to support these claims and does this specifically translate to cyclists, particularly those who ride for huge distances and duration? I will also explore the most effective exercises to include in a core routine so that it can be as efficient and effective as possible.

What is the core?

The very word ‘core’ is instructive in illustrating its central role within the body's musculoskeletal structure. Defining the core isn’t as simple as it may seem though, as what is referred to as the core varies between studies, with many including upper and lower sections of the body such as the shoulders, trunk, hips and upper leg (Hibbs et al., 2008).

When considering the role and function of the core for a cyclist, it can essentially be seen as an extensive structure made up of in excess of 30 different muscle groups which all work in concert to stabilise the spine, pelvis and hips. Also key is that it allows for optimal functioning of the surrounding limbs. Akuthota et al. (2008) describe the importance of the core in sports as providing ‘proximal stability for distal mobility’. The core is therefore much more than just the stereotypical ‘abs’ that are visible to the human eye.

Akuthota & Nadler (2004) stress that although much research has advocated the importance of a few core muscles (in particular the transversus abdominis), all are needed for optimal stabilization and performance.

The major muscles within the core include:

Abdominals: The rectus abdominis (the ‘six-pack’ muscle), transverse abdominis (deep core muscles), and internal and external obliques (located at the front and side of the abdomen).

Source: Getting the answers to your core questions. Gottschall.

Lower Back: The erector spinae, consisting of three muscles extending from the neck to the lower back which help maintain an upright posture and support the spine.

Source: Getting the answers to your core questions. Gottschall.

Hips and Glutes: Including hip flexors at the front of the pelvis and upper thigh, hip adductors which make up the musculature of the inner thigh, gluteus medius and minimus located at the side of the hip, and gluteus maximus located at the back of the hip and upper thigh.

Source: Getting the answers to your core questions. Gottschall.

Shoulders and Upper Back: The trapezius, rhomboids and other muscles support posture and stabilise the shoulders.

Source: REP Physio

What is the difference between core and strength training?

Core exercises are often confounded with strength training. As we have established, the primary purpose of core exercises is to build a stable foundation for your working muscles. Pure strength workouts are more concerned with the targeted development of the working muscles, usually using heavy weights. For cyclists, this mostly concerns muscles of the lower body, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

Strength training has a wealth of evidence behind it to demonstrate its benefits for cyclists. When combined with endurance training, strength training has been shown to improve cycling economy (how much oxygen or energy it requires to produce a given power output), fractional utilization of VO2 max (Vikomen et al., 2016), reduced injury risk (Kjaer et al., 2014), and a muscle fiber shift from Type IIx to Type IIa, the latter of which are more aerobically adapted, which will help to improve the aerobic capacity of the muscle.

AI generated image of a cyclist pumping iron: Google Gemini

Incorporated within an appropriately periodised approach, and sensibly scheduled into an athlete’s training week, strength training can be very advantageous. I must stress that this periodization of strength training is important. Workouts can add fatigue and muscle soreness, especially during a build period, so are best concentrated on distant from key cycling objectives. Core exercises, on the other hand, are appropriate to include year round, as they are not intended to add excess fatigue to the athlete nor impact one's ability to do on-bike workouts.

Although core and leg strength are distinct, they are still deeply interconnected. Especially so for cyclists. Viewing this conceptually, the core can be viewed as the stable chassis of a car and the legs as the powerful engine. If the chassis is weak and wobbly, the engine will not be able to transfer all of its power to the wheels.

Why ultra-distance cyclists should do core exercises.

The purported benefits of having a strong level of core stability are multitude. The most cited include enhanced power transfer, injury prevention, better cycling dynamics and improved performance.

In their 2008 paper, Hibbs et al. recognised that although core stability and strength have been subject to research since the early 1980s, much had been focused on people carrying out everyday activities. Less has been directed on the benefits of core training for elite athletes and how this should be carried out to optimize sporting performance. They also identify a difficulty in measuring the efficacy of core exercises as a gold standard methodology is missing.

To date, there are still relatively few studies assessing the effectiveness of core training programmes with respect to performance enhancement in sporting activities. However, all of the cited benefits can play directly or indirectly into enhanced performance, so it is relevant to look at the evidence for each of these.

AI generated image of a cyclist performing a plank: Google Gemini

Enhanced Power Transfer (Gross Cycling Efficiency)

The theory suggests that a strong core provides a stable platform from which the legs can generate power. Without this, a cyclist's body may rock or sway, leading to wasted energy. A rigid torso will therefore ensure that more of the force produced is directed to the pedals, making power transfer more efficient.

Weijmans & van Berkel (2014) asked whether core stabilization exercises enhance cycling efficiency in their study involving 13 well-trained cyclists taking part in an 8 week core stability training program. They could not find a significant improvement in gross cycling efficiency, although the 0.5% increase was close to the error margin of the hardware used. The authors conclude that even a small improvement in efficiency can make the difference when margins are tight (or potentially when durations are very long, as in ultra-distance events) so encourage future research in this area. As conclusive evidence for core exercises improving cycling efficiency is limited, drawing a conclusive link is therefore uncertain.

Reduced Injury Risk

In a 2013 review, Bliven & Anderson highlight that the integration of core stabilization exercises into injury prevention programmes, particularly for the lower extremity, is demonstrating decreased injury rates. For instance, there is substantial evidence illustrating differences in core muscle recruitment in low back pain (LBP) patients compared with healthy controls. These studies suggest that deficiencies in core stabilization and load transfer muscles may be related to lower extremity function and injury. This general consensus is confirmed by Hibbs et al. (2018) who note that improvements in lower back injuries have been widely reported by improving core stability.

For a particular example, Ruckstuhl & Clénin (2019) explored the correlation between back pain and core strength within 111 members of the Swiss national cycling team. They observed that around one third of the cyclists had insufficient core strength, and that having good core strength of the dorsal muscle chain was positively related to less frequent back pain. In addition, following a 4 month core training intervention, 47.9% of the athletes increased core strength and found significantly reduced back pain during cycling competition and daily life.

Better Cycling Dynamics

Abt et al. (2007) carried out a study looking at the relationship between cycling mechanics and core stability. They noted that cycling’s repetitive motion and the fixed position of the pelvis and feet require efficient movement patterns to avoid the application of excessive stress to the musculoskeletal structures of the lower extremity. Decreased core strength could, they hypothesise, artificially induce malalignment of the lower extremity in an effort to maintain a given power output.

Their protocol involved subjecting 15 competitive cyclists to an exhaustive cycling test before and after performing a core fatigue workout. In the test following core fatigue, altered cycling mechanics were observed, notably frontal and sagittal plane knee motion and sagittal plane ankle motion. Conversely, pedal force and work variables remained unchanged. The authors suggest that these results would imply compensatory kinematic adaptations to maintain a given power output, potentially exposing the knee and ankle joints to greater stress.

A lack of core stability was also considered to amplify the influence of other factors (e.g. strength imbalances, flexibility deficits, heavy gear selection) that are known to contribute to knee pathology. This is particularly relevant for ultra-distance cyclists as riding for multiple hours with altered mechanics of the lower extremity exposes them more to these risks.

They conclude that ‘improved core stability and endurance could promote greater alignment of the lower extremity when riding for extended durations as the core is more resistant to fatigue’.

Improved Performance

Although improvements in core stability and core strength have been widely observed following a core training programme, few studies have directly linked this with performance enhancement in sporting activities (Hibbs et al., 2008). Even less so with specific reference to cyclists. Indeed, in a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Dong et al. (2023) noted that previous experimental studies showed that core training could improve the fitness level of athletes (e.g. via balance or core stability), but there were no consistent conclusions on whether it improved sport-specific performance. Their results, from a variety of sports, showed that core training had almost no effect on athletes’ power and speed. Conversely, there was a large effect on general athletic markers, such as core endurance and balance.

One of the few identified studies directly illustrating improved cycling performance was carried out by Paul (2018), who explored the effects of a 6 week core training programme (3 days a week) on cycling speed in university level cyclists. A statistically significant increase in speed was found for the group who performed the core training. However, the test involved a 40 metre sprint, which is a very different challenge to that faced by ultra-distance cyclists during their events.

Sitko et al. (2004) highlight the contrast of evidence for core training with conventional strength training, where previous studies have explored the utility of strength training in various cycling populations. For core exercises, they claim that this intervention has never been compared.

In the Sitko et al. (2024) study, they divided 36 trained road cyclists into 3 groups of 12 participants that performed either no strength training, conventional strength training, or core exercises. In all cases, this was alongside their regular cycling training during a 12 week period. Before and after the intervention, peak power outputs were measured for durations of 5 seconds, 60 seconds, 5 minutes, and 20 minutes. Their results showed higher increases in relative power output for the conventional strength training group when compared to the core training, and no strength training groups for all durations. The core training group increased their power output against the no strength training group across all durations, but only the 5 second power was statistically significant.

These ambiguous results can, however, be attributed to several considerations. The authors acknowledge that there is no gold standard method for measuring core stability and strength during sporting movements. Additionally, there is not yet any conclusive scientific evidence regarding the best intensity, volume, and distribution of core training sessions for the improvement of sporting performance. Therefore, the intervention used in their study may have produced insufficient stimulus to result in any measurable change in performance.

Sitko et al. (2024) Absolute mean changes in relative power output by group and test.

Whilst researching this article, I was somewhat surprised by the lack of definitive evidence supporting the widely cited and seemingly accepted benefits of core training. The strongest evidence relates to injury prevention, which may largely be explained by differences in cycling dynamics when cyclists are subject to core fatigue, or are lacking in core stability. Although absolute links to performance are less clear, I would rather put this down to the paucity of relevant studies, and highlight that the research has been focused on short duration power outputs. The lack of a gold standard for measuring core strength or stability is also a factor, making improvements less straightforward to measure or compare between different interventions.

Does this imply that core training for cyclists should be seen as optional, or just a ‘nice to have’ on top of their regular on-bike training? I would argue no.

For ultra-distance cyclists, the evidence on injury prevention and cycling dynamics should be convincing enough as to the benefits of having a strong and stable core. After all, performance will inevitably suffer if one is subject to lower back or knee pain. This is particularly pertinent for ultra-distance cyclists, as a study on injury occurrence in ultra-endurance participants by Weir et al. (2025) shows. 50% of cyclists participating in ultra-endurance events reported an injury in the past 12 months, with the lower extremity, and specifically the knee, the most frequent location. It is also instructive to note that more knee injuries were reported by ultra-endurance cyclists than by runners.

We could also question how ‘performance’ is being measured in these studies. Short-term power metrics are often employed, which are not necessarily factors determining success for an ultra-distance athlete. The Dong et al. (2023) meta-analysis in particular highlighting the benefits for core endurance through core training could well be seen as a more relevant performance marker in this context. With success in ultra-distance events more reliant on durability, resilience and resistance to injury than any short-term power measure, we would expect performance over long durations to improve as a consequence of improved core strength and stability. We are constrained by the lack of direct studies at this moment, but from the relevant wider evidence available it is a reasonable conclusion to draw that performing core exercises to ensure a strong and stable core will only be beneficial for an ultra-distance cyclist.

Which core exercises should I do?

If our objective is to elicit the greatest activation of the core musculature then it is imperative that we select exercises that effectively and efficiently target the intended muscles. Gottschall & Hastings (2013) set this out as an objective for their study where isolation and integration core exercises were compared. Isolation exercises are simple, single joint movements, targeting proximal trunk muscles. A well known example is a basic crunch. Integration exercises are complex, multijoint movements that elicit activity across both proximal and distal trunk muscles. 16 exercises were randomly assigned to participants, with core muscle activity measured. Their results indicated that activation of the abdominal and lumbar muscles was  greatest during the integration exercises that required deltoid and gluteal recruitment. Furthermore, abdominal and lumbar muscle activity was greatest when balance was challenged, through the addition of complex movements to traditional core exercises. 

Akuthota et al. (2008) also stress that exercise of the core musculature is more than trunk strengthening. Lack of sufficient coordination can lead to decreased efficiency of movement and compensatory patterns, causing strain and overuse injuries. Adding movements which require balance and coordination into core routines is therefore important.

In the Dong et al. (2023) meta-analysis, the authors propose that adding core training movements suitable for the characteristics of the sport event will help improve the athletes’ performance. The core needs to maintain a stable, static position whilst cycling to help facilitate the fast, dynamic movement of the legs when pedalling. As such, incorporating isometric holds can offer this element of sport-specificity to core exercises targeted at cyclists. These are holds where the muscles are placed under tension but are not contracting.

Accordingly, as many cyclists are searching to minimize the time committed to core training through a quality, efficient regimen, a routine that incorporates integration exercises and isometric holds appears optimal in terms of inducing the desired benefits.

It is beyond the scope of this article to give a comprehensive list of core exercises and how to execute each of them, but some integration movements and isometric holds to consider include:

Plank:

Lie face down with the shoulders above the elbows, forearms flat on the floor, shoulders and hips at an even height from the floor and feet wider than the hips. Try to hold this position for periods of 10 seconds, eventually building up to a hold of one to two minutes. As an advanced option, move one hand diagonally away from the start position across the floor and then move back to the start position.

Balance mountain climber plank:

Start with the shoulders, elbows and wrists aligned and the feet hip-width apart. Bring one knee to the opposite elbow while maintaining a flat upper body and twisting the lower body.

Side hover:

Start in a side-lying position with the shoulders directly above the elbow, the supporting forearm flat on the floor and the feet stacked. Hold the other hand above the head for 20 seconds.

Extension:

Lie face down with arms above the head. Lift and lower the chest off the floor by contracting the gluteal muscles.

Pointer:

Start in a quadruped position with both hands and knees flat on the floor. Lift one leg and the opposite arm to the height of the shoulders. Repeat on the other side.

(all description from Getting the answers to your core questions. Gottschall.)

AI generated image of a cyclist performing a side hover exercise: Google Gemini

Building a core routine

I prescribe to all my athletes a core exercise routine which is to be done at least 3 times a week. This applies at almost all periods of the year, with the sole exceptions generally being immediately around key events or when time is extremely limited and on-bike workouts are prioritised. This frequency is in line with the interventions commonly undertaken in studies (such as Paul, 2018 and Chok, 2020), and the recommendations of coaching institutions such as the Association of British Cycling Coaches. With each session only requiring around 30 minutes, this is also normally not an overly onerous amount of time for an amateur athlete who may have limited time for cycling training. Sessions can also be completed in any location as no specialist equipment is required for the basic exercises.

An effective way to construct an efficient and comprehensive routine in 30 minutes is to employ super-setting. This involves doing multiple different exercises back-to-back before taking a short rest and repeating the set. Using the rest time to stretch/foam roll can be an even more time-efficient strategy.

Perform 2x super-sets, each with 3x sets of 3x exercises (either 10-20 reps or a hold for the appropriate duration) with exercises targeting the three dimensions of the core: abdominal, oblique and lumbar. This will look like (with A-F being different exercises):

Superset 1:

10 x A / 10 x B / 10 x C

Rest (60-120s)

10 x A / 10 x B / 10 x C

Rest (60-120s)

10 x A / 10 x B / 10 x C

Rest (60-120s)

Superset 2:

10 x D / 10 x E / 10 x F

Rest (60-120s)

10 x D / 10 x E / 10 x F

Rest (60-120s)

10 x D / 10 x E / 10 x F

Rest (60-120s)

Those new to targeted core exercises should start with basic movements and a number of reps or time of hold that is manageable, but still appropriately challenging. Progression of the core routine should then be considered. The degree of difficulty can be enhanced with minimal equipment by adding external resistance (e.g. a band) or a balance challenge. For exercises with the trunk off the ground, such as a plank, raising an arm or leg can increase core activity. Arokoski et al. (2001) found that completing a bridge exercise with one leg lifted increased muscle activity by at least 20% in the rectus abdominis and multifidi, and 200% in the external obliques.

Conclusion

The core is the underpinning musculoskeletal structure for maintaining the postural stance and allowing for optimal functioning of the surrounding limbs. In this sense, proximal stability through a strong core enhances distal mobility.

There are many reasons that ultra-distance cyclists would benefit from including a core exercise routine into their training schedule. Although there is a lack of direct research on how core strength and stability enhances performance, there is a lot of evidence behind the global benefits core strength can bring. The mechanisms that have been explored with specific reference to cycling can be seen to lend in to overall performance enhancement, especially for ultra-distance cyclists, through the maintenance of good cycling dynamics and injury prevention when fatigued . After all, developing an injury during a ride is a surefire way to see a drop-off in performance and have a less than pleasurable time.

Fitting a core exercise routine into your training schedule should not be seen as overly complicated or time consuming. Focusing on basic integration exercises and isolation holds will prove to be an efficient and effective way of making the most of a session that can be done in less than 30 minutes 2-3 times a week. As with most elements of training, consistency is key with core routines. Find a time in your schedule which works for you and see core exercises as a priority, not just an optional extra. You will only reap the benefits, not just in your sporting activities but throughout everyday life.

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