Improving Cycling Performance via Muscle Synergies & Neuromuscular Coordination

What Are Muscle Synergies?

“Muscle synergies” are patterns of activation across multiple muscles acting together to produce movement. The concept is that the nervous system doesn’t always control each muscle in isolation, but rather through groups (synergies) that simplify control. Efficiency, coordination, and power output in cycling are influenced by how well these synergies are tuned. Recent research has shed light on how synergies evolve with power demand, and how improving coordination can reduce wasted effort and improve endurance and maximal efforts.

What Recent Research Reveals

A July 2025 preprint titled Quantifying lower‑limb muscle coordination during cycling using electromyography‑informed muscle synergies (Ahmadi et al.) examined how muscle coordination changes with increasing power in recreational cyclists. Key findings include:

• At higher power outputs, coactivation at the knee joint reduced, while coactivation at the ankle joint increased, indicating shifts in how different joints share load.  
• The composition of synergies shifts: extensor muscles (those involved in pushing down/pushing) dominate more as power increases, while flexor muscles change less.  
• A “Synergy Coordination Index (SCI)” increased with power, suggesting that as effort increases, the neuromuscular system works more efficiently by reducing unnecessary activations.  

These findings support the idea that training which improves neuromuscular coordination—not just raw power or aerobic capacity—can yield meaningful performance gains.

Why Neuromuscular Coordination Matters for Cyclists

• Reduced coactivation (e.g. antagonistic muscles firing against each other) lowers wasted energy, increasing efficiency especially on longer rides.
• Better synchronization and control of muscle groups helps with smooth power application, which is critical in climbs, sprints, and power surges.
• Improved coordination may also reduce fatigue and risk of injury, since inefficient activation patterns can overload certain muscles or joints.
• Elevated synergy performance at high power means that when you need peaks (e.g. attacks, time trials), your body can deliver more clean force without extraneous effort.

How to Train Neuromuscular Coordination & Synergies

Below are workouts designed to target coordination, efficient muscle activation, and power expression, based on what the research suggests.

A. High‑Power Short Intervals with Focus on Quality of Pedal Stroke

Goal: At higher outputs, encourage cleaner muscle activation, reduce wasted coactivation.

• Warm‑up: 15 mins easy spinning, include 3 × 30 secs fast cadence surges to wake up neuromuscular system.
• Main Set: 6 × 1 minute maximal or near‑maximal power (e.g. above threshold or in high gear) with full focus on smooth pedal stroke. Rest 4 minutes easy between each.
• During each interval, think about pressing down, pulling up (if using clip‑in), ankle alignment, minimal side‑to‑side wobble. Possibly record EMG if available, or use video to check form.
• Cool‑down: 10‑15 mins easy spinning with single‑leg drills (30 secs each leg) to emphasise individual limb contribution and coordination.

B. Mixed Load Synergy Sessions

Goal: Combine varied power and cadence to force adaptation across joints and activation patterns.

• Warm‑up: 20 mins (including cadence drills).
• Main Set:

• Rest between intervals: 3‑5 mins easy spinning.
• Cool‑down: same single‑leg drills + very easy ride with alternating seated vs standing to reinforce motor control under different postures.

C. Fatigue‑Dependent Coordination Work

Goal: Under mild fatigue, force the neuromuscular system to maintain coordination patterns; helps mimic late‑race demands.

• Warm‑up: 20 minutes steady.
• Pre‑Fatigue: 30 mins Zone 2‑3 ride.
• Then: 3 × 2 mins at threshold or just above, paying attention to pedal smoothness, joint motion (ankle, knee, hip), no bouncing or wasted motion. Long rest (5 mins) to recover coordination.
• Finish: 10 mins spin with attention to ankle stability (e.g. minimal dorsiflexion changes) and knee tracking.

Integrating with Your Training Plan

• Include neuromuscular coordination sessions 1‑2 times per week, depending on your training phase. During base phases, maybe once; in build phases, twice.
• Use lower volume but high quality when doing these sessions, especially when fatigued.
• Pair with regular strength work (especially focusing on hip and ankle stabilisers) and mobility drills (ankle, hip, core) to give the neuromuscular system the capacity to respond.
• Monitor performance and fatigue: because coordination work can feel subtle, track with power consistency, perceived effort, and possibly video/technique checks rather than just looking for big physiological markers.

Example Weekly Plan (Intermediate Cyclist, ~8‑10 h/week)

Summary

Recent research (e.g. Ahmadi et al. 2025) shows that as power demands increase, cyclists’ muscle synergies adapt: less wasted coactivation at certain joints and more efficient activation of extensors. Training that targets neuromuscular coordination can help you exploit those adaptations: improving efficiency, power expression, delaying fatigue, and sharpening performance.

Focusing on quality, clean activation patterns under a variety of demands (power, cadence, fatigue) will likely deliver gains that traditional aerobic or strength training alone may not capture.

Reference

Ahmadi R., Rasoulian S., Heidary H., Aboodarda S. J., Uchida T. K., Herzog W., & Komeili A. (2025). Quantifying lower‑limb muscle coordination during cycling using electromyography‑informed muscle synergies. Preprint (arXiv).