SynthesisThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2018
Health benefits of electrically-assisted cycling: a systematic review.
Synthesis in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07114991 (Effects of Pedal-Assist E-Bike Commuting on Cardiometabolic Health, Physical Activity, and Psychological Well-Being in Overweight College Students), which is not on this map. Cited by 40 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Pedal-Assist E-Bike Commuting on Cardiometabolic Health, Physical Activity, and Psychological Well-Being in Overweight College Students
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 146 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects electric bikes have on physiological parameters.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2022Pooled it
- Smart Electrically Assisted Bicycles as Health Monitoring Systems: A Review.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Pooled it
- E-cycling and health benefits: A systematic literature review with meta-analyses.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2022Pooled it
- Psychosocial and Physiological Health Outcomes of Green Exercise in Children and Adolescents-A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Pooled it
- A Sustainable Lifestyle Intervention Among Office Workers: Cluster Randomized Pilot and Feasibility Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Trial
- Trial
- From cars to bikes - The effect of an intervention providing access to different bike types: A randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2019Trial
- [Barriers to cycling for transportation: findings from the population-based survey "Health in Germany"].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2026Article
- Employer-provided bicycle benefit and changes in commuting and overall physical activity: A quasi-experiment among Finnish municipal employees.Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health · 2026Article
- Article
- Incorporating active commuting into daily life: a narrative review of e-bikes' impact on health and urban air quality.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Review
- Article
- A Theory and Evidence-Informed e-Cycling Intervention for Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer: Development Study.JMIR cancer · 2024Article
- Sustainable Lifestyle Among Office Workers (the SOFIA Study): Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Short term e-bicycle riding results in favorable cardiometabolic shifts in moderately active adults.European journal of applied physiology · 2024Article
- Effects of Cycling on Spine: A Case-Control Study Using a 3D Scanning Method.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Study protocol for two pilot randomised controlled trials aimed at increasing physical activity using electrically assisted bicycles to enhance prostate or breast cancer survival.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2023Article
- Electrically assisted cycling for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2023Article
- "I'm Hooked on e-cycling, I Can Finally Be Active Again": Perceptions of e-cycling as a Physical Activity Intervention during Breast Cancer Treatment.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Fractures of the Lower Extremity after E-Bike, Bicycle, and Motorcycle Accidents: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 624 Patients.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundElectrically assisted bicycles (e-bikes) have been highlighted as a method of active travel that could overcome some of the commonly reported barriers to cycle commuting. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the health benefits associated with e-cycling.
methodA systematic literature review of studies examining physical activity, cardiorespiratory, metabolic and psychological outcomes associated with e-cycling. Where possible these outcomes were compared to those from conventional cycling and walking. Seven electronic databases, clinical trial registers, grey literature and reference lists were searched up to November 2017. Hand searching occurred until June 2018. Experimental or observational studies examining the impact of e-cycling on physical activity and/or health outcomes of interest were included. E-bikes used must have pedals and require pedalling for electric assistance to be provided.
resultsSeventeen studies (11 acute experiments, 6 longitudinal interventions) were identified involving a total of 300 participants. There was moderate evidence that e-cycling provided physical activity of at least moderate intensity, which was lower than the intensity elicited during conventional cycling, but higher than that during walking. There was also moderate evidence that e-cycling can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive individuals. Evidence of the impact of e-cycling on metabolic and psychological health outcomes was inconclusive. Longitudinal evidence was compromised by weak study design and quality.
conclusionE-cycling can contribute to meeting physical activity recommendations and increasing physical fitness. As such, e-bikes offer a potential alternative to conventional cycling. Future research should examine the long-term health impacts of e-cycling using rigorous research designs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.