The Transfer Effects of Stationary Bicycle Perturbation Training on Older Adults’ Cycling Skills and Behavior (BiPerAge)

Introduction

The age-related physical and cognitive decline increases the risk for severe bicycle accidents in older adults and warrants effective training interventions to improve safe cycling skills. This study investigates potential transfer effects of a perturbation-based, hands-free bicycling training program on cycling skills and overall balance control in older adults. 

Methods

BiPerAge is a bicentric project (Duration: 2024-2027), combining the expertise in cycling interventions of the Department of Physical Therapy, Ben-Gurion University Israel and the Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg. Community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older train 20 times (20 min per session) over a period of three months on a stationary bicycle system, with (=PerTSBR) or without (=TSBR) perturbation. Before and after the training period, they complete a validated and standardized cycle course, consisting of varying tasks related to real-life traffic situations. Errors in the cycle course are the primary outcome measure. Additionally, overall physical performance (e.g. SPPB) and balance control (e.g. mBESS) are assessed using portable inertial measurement units (e.g. APDM-Opal).

Results

To date, a total of 56 participants (57% female; mean age 75±5.1 years) completed the training program. Both groups reduced their overall errors from baseline (PerTSBR: mean errors 12.4; TSBR: mean errors 12.3; p=0.97) to follow-up (PerTSBR: mean errors 7.8; TSBR: mean errors 10.6). While both groups improved, the PerTSBR group showed a greater error reduction (4.6 errors) compared to the TSBR group (1.7 errors), committing on average 2.9 fewer errors on the cycle course (p=0.04).  Overall, there were no significant differences in SPPB- and mBESS-scores between the groups.

Conclusions

Preliminary results indicate that a hands-free stationary bicycle perturbation training can significantly improve cycling skills in older adults within a standardized cycle course. However, no significant transfer effects on overall balance and physical performance control were observed.