Research summary · Training and performance
How well does cycling transfer to running?
This review compares running-only training with cycling or combined training for aerobic capacity and running performance.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Journal
- Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
- Population / context
- Running · Cycling · Endurance cross-training
What the publication reports
Seven randomised trials of at least four weeks were included. Pooled comparisons found no clear differences in maximal oxygen uptake or running time-trial outcomes between the training approaches.
Limits and interpretation
Wide confidence intervals, varied training status and doses, older protocols and risk of bias constrain the findings. A non-significant difference is not proof that running and cycling are interchangeable or that substitution preserves race performance.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Cross-training between running and cycling: effects on VO2max and running performance—a systematic review and meta-analysis
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42267259DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2026.1843803Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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