Ask a coach: 'Why do cyclists have bigger legs than runners?'

Both endurance sports rely on the legs as the main driver of movement, but there are some crucial differences between them...

Image shows a person cycling
(Image credit: Getty Images - SimonSkafar)

On the face of it cycling and running could be considered quite similar. Both are endurance sports where the legs are the main driver of movement!

However, most of us, even a cursory glance can see if an athlete is predominantly a runner or a cyclist. The musculature is simply quite different. Runners tend to have small, more elongated muscles in their legs whereas cyclists tend to have larger muscle mass. 

Image shows James Spragg.
James Spragg

Sports scientist and coach James Spragg is one of the experts who will be answering your questions in Cycling Weekly's ASK A CYCLING COACH series which comes out every Wednesday. Working both in research and applied settings, he currently runs Intercept Performance Consultancy

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