What are the health benefits of riding an ebike?


Whenever I mention ebikes to the kind of people who wear a lot of lycra, the most common response is an eye roll. They might not say it, but they equate a motor-assisted bike with “cheating.”

In other words, it’s not proper exercise.

But if we look at an ebike in terms of fitness compared to a regular bike, is it cheating? Can it get you — and keep — you fit? 

What’s your definition of fitness?

Firstly, fitness means a lot of things to different people. For example, is it:

  • Resting heart rate?
  • Lung capacity?
  • Calories burned?
  • Stamina?
  • Climbing three flights of stairs without feeling like you will die?
  • Burning fat?

Can we really say one of the above is more beneficial than the others? Of course not. Fitness by itself is a term fraught with misunderstanding. 

The health benefits of an ebike

2021 research ​​revealed that riding an ebike for a 4.8km (3-mile) commute resulted in lower exertion in terms of metabolic and cardiovascular rates when compared with a regular bicycle.

However, this still met the intensity level associated with healthy physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization and the American College of Sports Medicine.

They concluded that such exercise, if performed regularly, would likely lead to the improvement or maintenance of cardiovascular health and caloric balance.

So, in a simulated environment, an ebike is a workout — but not as much as a regular bike. 

I spoke to DJ Mazzoni, (MSc, Dietician, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, amongst other qualifications). He asserted that an ebike is great for your heart:

Cardiovascular training is a basic premise: you increase the work rate to the point that your heart rate is significantly above resting rate, and maintain that rate of work for a specified duration. This improves lung and heart function.

Ebikes can mean more biking