Cycling and Team Medellín-EPM: Benefits for Heart and Circulation

Cycling can keep the heart rate elevated for a considerable period without creating the repeated ground impacts associated with running. It is the same form of aerobic work included in the training routine of Team Medellín-EPM athletes, although its advantages extend far beyond elite sport. For everyday riders, regular cycling trains the legs, cardiorespiratory fitness and circulation, while repeated calf contractions contribute to the muscle pump that helps return venous blood to the heart.

Why does cycling challenge the heart without the repeated impact of running?

When pedalling, the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and calves work continuously, increasing their demand for oxygen. The heart responds by raising cardiac output, while the rider's body is supported by the saddle and bicycle rather than landing on the feet with every stride. This is what makes cycling a low-impact activity, although poor positioning, excessive resistance or badly managed training volume can still cause pain. For anyone considering taking it up, these features explain why cycling makes it possible to build up so many minutes of exercise:

• It sustains aerobic activity for prolonged periods.
• It avoids the repeated impact of feet striking the ground.
• It allows resistance, cadence and exercise duration to be adjusted.
• It repeatedly works the major muscle groups in the legs.
• It can be done outdoors or on a stationary bike.

Who are Team Medellín-EPM, and what does their routine show about cycling?

Team Medellín-EPM illustrates how far the ability to sustain effort can be developed. Founded in 2017, the Colombian team races in the UCI Continental category and competes in road cycling events where riders must contend with climbs, time trials, long distances and several hours of exertion. Professional training is far removed from what an everyday rider needs, but the physiological principle remains the same: repeatedly turning the pedals as the heart, lungs and muscles work to maintain power.

The team has also achieved results that put this competitive standard into perspective. In 2026, Wilmar Paredes won the Tour de Beauce in Canada, while teammate Diego Camargo finished second overall. Team Medellín-EPM also won three of the race's five stages. This performance does not mean anyone needs to match a professional cyclist's training volume to look after their heart; instead, it demonstrates the substantial aerobic capacity that can be built through systematic cycling training over many years.

How long do you need to cycle for cardiovascular benefits?

For most people, the target is far below the hours accumulated by professional athletes. Adult guidelines advise between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week, or between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorous exercise. These minutes can be spread across the week, and people who are inactive can begin with shorter sessions before increasing duration or intensity. One straightforward way to turn these guidelines into a routine is to follow progressions such as these:

• Begin with rides lasting 20 to 30 minutes at a comfortable pace.
• Spread the minutes over three, four or more days each week.
• Use a resistance level that makes breathing quicker without forcing you to stop soon afterwards.
• Increase duration first, then add more intense sections.
• Combine cycling with strength exercises on other days of the week.

Watch the video below from the Escola para Ciclistas channel explaining what happens to your body when you cycle every day:

Stationary bike or outdoor cycling: what changes for the heart and circulation?

Both options can provide a cardiovascular stimulus. On a stationary bike, resistance, time and cadence are easier to manage without traffic lights, descents or sudden changes in terrain. This makes it easier to maintain a steady intensity and is particularly practical for beginners. Studies comparing indoor and outdoor training have found improved fitness with both approaches, including increases in VO2max after regular programmes.

Outdoors, wind, hills and terrain naturally vary the effort and add demands related to balance and bike handling. In either setting, the rhythmic contraction of the leg muscles also helps compress the veins and move blood back towards the heart. This process is known as the calf muscle pump and contributes to maintaining venous return during movement.

What starts to change after a few weeks of cycling?

With consistency, one of the earliest changes is noticing that the same route, resistance setting or duration requires less effort. Cycling training programmes can improve aerobic capacity within a few weeks, while cycling studies associate regular participation with better cardiorespiratory fitness and a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. In elite sport, teams such as Team Medellín-EPM take these adaptations to a sporting extreme: Paredes and Camargo's one-two finish at the 2026 Tour de Beauce, along with three stage wins, demonstrates the ability to sustain performance over several consecutive days of competition.

For people cycling for health, however, the benefit lies in consistency rather than attempting to replicate professional training volume. Cycling can raise heart rate, develop aerobic fitness and keep the legs moving continuously without imposing the same impact load as running, but it does not fully replace strength training, which is also recommended for strength and maintaining muscle mass. When cycling, recovery and strength exercises all have a place in the same routine, the heart receives an aerobic stimulus without every workout needing to become a race stage.