Muscle Coordination, Synergies & Cycling Performance

What Are Muscle Synergies & Why They Matter in Cycling

When you pedal, your neuromuscular (nervous + muscular) system does not always activate each muscle in full isolation. Instead, groups of muscles commonly fire together in coordinated patterns or “modules” known as muscle synergies. These synergies represent how the central nervous system organises control of multiple muscles to produce efficient movement.

In cycling, effective synergies mean:

• Minimal “wasted” coactivation (i.e. agonist vs antagonist muscles fighting each other)

• Smooth timing and transitions of muscle activation over the pedal stroke

• Stable force transfer across hip, knee, ankle joints under different loads

If you can refine your synergies — making them more efficient and better tuned to your power demands — you can improve performance beyond just increases in aerobic capacity or muscle size.

A recent preprint by Ahmadi et al. (2025) explored this in depth. Using EMG (electromyography) and non‑negative matrix factorisation (NMF), they examined lower‑limb muscle coordination across different power levels in recreational cyclists.  They computed indices such as Coactivation Index (CI), Synergy Index (SI), and Synergy Coordination Index (SCI). Their principal findings:

• They identified four consistent synergies across power levels.

• As power level increased, coactivation at the knee (i.e. antagonistic overlap) decreased, while coactivation at the ankle joint increased.

• The SI showed a greater weighting of extensor (push) muscles relative to flexors at higher powers.

• The SCI increased with power, indicating a reduction in the “size of the synergy space” — in effect, the neuromuscular system uses a tighter, more constrained set of coordination patterns under higher mechanical demand.

In plain terms: as you push harder, your nervous system “prunes” less useful activations and favours more efficient patterns. Training that forces your system to operate near its limits may help it learn better coordination.

Further, another study (Zohari et al. 2024) showed that increasing power output is associated with greater activation of key muscles such as vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and semitendinosus during cycling.  This suggests that higher demands provoke stronger neuromuscular recruitment, which aligns with the idea of pushing for better synergy control under load.

Another line of relevant research is the concept of durability in endurance performance. Durability refers to how well an athlete can maintain performance under accumulated fatigue (i.e. late in efforts). A recent study on amateur cyclists found that more successful riders had significantly smaller drops in power during fatigued 20‑minute efforts (≈ 6.5 % drop) versus less successful ones (≈ 12.5 %) under the same workload.  The argument is that better neuromuscular control and efficient muscle coordination contribute to preserving performance under fatigue.

Moreover, reviews of training distribution (polarised vs non‑polarised) show that different models can achieve similar VO₂max and time trial improvements, implying that more than just volume and intensity distribution matters — neuromuscular and coordination factors may be the differentiator. 

Finally, professional cyclists’ own practices underscore the importance of strength and neuromuscular training: in a survey, most pros used two strength sessions per week in the off-season, then reduced to maintenance (one session) during the race season, viewing strength work as essential for performance, injury prevention and longevity. 

Together, these lines of evidence suggest that optimising neuromuscular coordination and synergy control is a promising frontier for marginal gains in cycling.

Training Principles to Improve Synergy & Coordination in Cycling

Based on the above, here are guiding principles to train your neuromuscular system for more efficient coordination:

1. High mechanical demand, moderate volume

   Push near your maximal capacity (high torque, high power) to force your nervous system to “choose” efficient coordination under stress.

2. Short to moderate intervals under controlled conditions

   Use interval durations that are long enough to engage neuromuscular control, but not so long as to induce severe metabolic fatigue that “masks” coordination adaptations.

3. Precision & intention in execution

   Focus on smooth pedal stroke, avoid bouncing or jerky transitions. Use cadence or torque variability drills to expose “coordination weaknesses”.

4. Single‑leg and asymmetric drills

   Reduces redundancy and forces the nervous system to refine intra‑leg coordination independent of the contralateral limb.

5. Strength/neural capacity support

   Off‑bike strength training (especially maximal strength, explosive work) supports the muscular foundation that the synergies rely on; but ensure it is integrated so as not to interfere with neuromuscular recovery.

6. Progressive overload & variety

   Vary intervals, power levels, cadence, and rest durations to continually challenge adaptation. Avoid doing the same “coordination drills” repeatedly without progression.

Sample Workouts to Target Neuromuscular Coordination & Synergy Adaptation

Below are several workouts aimed at improving neuromuscular coordination in cycling. Adapt durations, intensities, and rests to your fitness level or training phase.

Workout	Purpose	Structure
High‑Torque Burst Sequence	Force coordination under high load	Warm up 15 min. Then 5 × 30 s hard seated in a big gear (low cadence, high torque) with 3 min easy spin between. Focus on smooth drive and no “kick” out. Cool down 10 min.
Mixed Cadence Transitions	Train flexibility in coordination	Warm up. Then 8 × (30 s high cadence + 30 s low cadence) with 1 min rest. Emphasise smooth transitions mid‑stroke.
Single‑Leg Blends	Force intra‑leg coordination	Warm up. Do 4 × 45 s single-leg (left), then 4 × 45 s (right), with same duration easy spin between. Then finish with 5 min normal pedalling focusing on integration.
Power Ramp with Controlled Descent	Combined load + coordination	Warm up. Then ramp power from 60 % → 120 % of FTP over 3 min, hold 30 s, then descend back to 60 % over 3 min. Repeat 4 times. Focus on maintaining smooth activation on the descent.
Coordination under Fatigue	Simulate late-race conditions	Warm up fully. Then do 3 × 5 min at ~90 % FTP (or a pace you can sustain but feel fatigue) with 5 min easy spin between; in the last 1 min of each, do 15 s cadence bursts (e.g. +30 rpm above your comfortable cadence) while trying to remain smooth.

You might insert one or two of these per week, particularly on days when you’re relatively fresh (or after an easy day).

Programming & Periodisation Suggestions

• Base / Preparation phase: Introduce coordination work conservatively, 1 session per week. Keep volume moderate.

• Build / Intensification: Increase frequency to 2 sessions per week, with one “pure coordination” session and one “hybrid” (coordination + power).

• Race / Maintenance phase: Maintain perhaps one focused coordination session per week (or every 10–14 days), to preserve adaptations without overtaxing the neuromuscular system.

• Deloads / Recovery weeks: Reduce or omit coordination stress; allow the nervous system to recover.

• Integration with strength training: Schedule heavier strength work (max strength / explosive) away from your most intense coordination sessions (either different day, or separate time-of-day) to reduce interference.

Limitations & Practical Considerations

• The Ahmadi et al. synergy study is done in recreational cyclists; care should be taken when applying directly to highly trained or elite athletes. 

• Neuromuscular adaptation is inherently slower and subject to high inter‑individual variability.

• Overuse risk: high neuromuscular stress—especially when combining with high volume or heavy strength—can lead to central fatigue, overtraining, or injury if not managed.

• Equipment: access to accurate power, cadence, or force feedback helps to control and monitor these workouts.

• You must continue to train aerobic systems strongly; coordination work is complementary, not a replacement.

Summary

Muscle synergy and neuromuscular coordination represent a cutting-edge and promising domain in cycling performance optimisation. Recent research shows that as power increases, the nervous system increasingly refines activation patterns (less coactivation, tighter synergy space) — suggesting that training aimed at pushing these activation frontiers could confer performance benefit (Ahmadi et al. 2025).  Combined with findings on neuromuscular recruitment at higher power (e.g. Zohari et al. 2024) and the concept of durability under fatigue (e.g. power drop resilience), it’s clear that coordination is an under‑leveraged path for marginal gains.

By correctly programming focused coordination workouts, integrating strength support, and managing fatigue, you can help your neuromuscular system better “learn” efficient synergy patterns. Over time, that refined control may translate to smoother pedalling, reduced wasted energy, better late‑race performance, and improved power per unit metabolic cost.