Neuromuscular Coordination & Muscle Synergies in Cycling: What It Means and How to Train It

The Concept: Muscle Synergies & Coactivation in Cycling

In human movement, the nervous system often doesn’t control each muscle in complete isolation, but rather through muscle synergies — groups of muscles that act together in coordinated patterns. For cycling, this means that how your hip, knee, and ankle muscles co‑activate (turn on/off together) affects efficiency, power delivery, and fatigue resistance.

A very recent study (Ahmadi et al. 2025) analysed lower‑limb muscle coordination in cyclists using electromyography (EMG) and non‑negative matrix factorisation (to extract synergies). They computed metrics including a Coactivation Index (CI), Synergy Index (SI), and Synergy Coordination Index (SCI) to characterise how coordinated muscle activation is across power levels. 

Key findings:

• Across power levels, four consistent muscle synergies were identified, but their composition and activation timings changed with increasing mechanical demand. 

• As power increased, coactivation at the knee joint decreased, while coactivation at the ankle increased. The extensor muscles (e.g. quadriceps) had greater contribution relative to flexor muscles in synergy weighting as power rose. 

• The Synergy Coordination Index (SCI) increased significantly with higher power, suggesting a narrowing of the synergy space — in other words, the neuromuscular system uses a more refined, tighter coordination at high loads. 

In effect, as loads increase, the system “prunes” less useful coactivations or redundant activations and emphasises the more efficient muscle activation patterns.

Why is this important? Because inefficiencies and antagonistic coactivation (e.g. muscles working against each other) waste energy, add unnecessary load on tendons or joints, and reduce effective force transfer. If you can train your neuromuscular system to sharpen synergies (i.e. reduce wasted coactivation and improve timing), you may enhance performance beyond what purely increasing aerobic or muscular capacity can give.

Supporting Evidence from Related Research

To contextualise this:

• A narrative review of neuromuscular adaptations to HIIT (High‑Intensity Interval Training) shows that HIIT not only improves cardiovascular parameters but also induces increases in motor unit recruitment, rate of force development, and neural drive to muscles. 

• The same review underscores the idea that neuromuscular adaptations are part of why HIIT is effective. 

• Another useful study (Twist et al. 2025) compared 15 s vs 30 s short‑interval HIIT protocols on cycling. They found that 15 s work intervals elicited higher time spent near VO₂max, lower blood lactate, and smaller decrements in isometric knee extension force compared to 30 s. Implication: shorter bursts may stress the neuromuscular system more favourably with less fatigue. 

• Additionally, a 6‑day “short‑interval microcycle” (i.e. intense block) followed by an active recovery period has been shown to improve endurance performance in cyclists. 

Together, these support the notion that neuromuscular coordination is trainable and relevant to endurance cycling.

Training Principles to Improve Coordination & Synergies

Here’s how to translate this into practical training:

1. High Power, Short Duration Bursts with Emphasis on Technique

   Use maximal or near‑maximal efforts (10–60 s) but with strong attention to clean, coordinated muscle activation. Focus on smooth transitions between legs, maintain good pedal path, and minimise “kicking out” or oscillation. These bursts force the neuromuscular system to fire selectively.

2. Ultra‑Short Intervals to Accentuate Neural Demand

   Very short intervals (e.g. 5–15 s) with sufficient recovery encourage high neural drive with less metabolic accumulation. The Twist et al. (2025) study suggests that 15 s work intervals yielded better neuromuscular outcomes than 30 s ones in matched volume. 

3. Blocks of Coordination Stress with Recovery (Microcycles)

   A concentrated block (e.g. 4–7 days) emphasising neuromuscular load (intervals, sprints, high torque sessions) followed by a recovery period can provoke adaptation, as seen in short‑interval block studies. 

4. Single‑Leg / Asymmetric or Coordination Drills

   Using one leg at a time (30–60 s each), pedal path drills, “pedal circle” focus, or consciously slowing down transitions can help refine synergy timing. These kinds of drills directly emphasise intra‑leg coordination without heavy external load.

5. Strength & Neuromotor Supplementation

   Heavy strength training (≥ 80 % 1RM) can increase maximal force, rate of force development, and neural drive, which supports better synergy execution under load. A recent article examined effects of heavy strength training on VO₂max, maximal metabolic steady state, and cycling efficiency. 

   However, combining strength and endurance training in the same session or block must be managed carefully to avoid interference: some neuromuscular adaptations may be blunted if both modalities target overlapping muscles too closely. 

Sample Workouts to Target Coordination & Synergy

Below are several workouts designed to emphasise neuromuscular coordination in cycling. Adjust durations, power, and rest to your fitness level.

Workout	Goal / Focus	Structure
Maximal Burst with Clean Technique	Force selection of clean synergies under high load	Warm up 15 min easy. Then 6 × 20 s all‑out / maximal effort (peak power), with 4 mins easy spin between. Focus on smooth pedal stroke, minimal wobble, strong connection from hip → knee → ankle. Cool down 10 min.
Ultra‑Short Interval Block	Emphasise neural demand with low metabolic fatigue	Warm up 10–15 min. Then do 12 × 12 s high torque / high cadence (or mixed) with 48 s rest (active spin). After a short break, repeat block (if fitness allows). Cool down 10 min.
15 s Work vs 30 s Work Comparison	Explore different neural stresses (based on Twist et al.)	Warm up 15 min. Then 8 × 15 s at ~120 % VO₂max equivalent (or maximal sustainable) with 45 s recovery. On a separate day, try 8 × 30 s same total volume but longer rest; compare feel, fatigue, coordination.
Single‑Leg / Pedal Path Drill	Improve intra‑leg coordination and transitions	After warm up, do sets of 30–60 s single-leg pedalling (left then right). Alternatively, do slow controlled pedal circles with very light resistance, emphasising smooth transitions through dead points.
Torque / Big Gear Session	Stress under higher torque to force stable coordination	Warm up. Then 5 × 1 min seated in a big gear (low cadence, high torque) at 90–100 % FTP, with 3 mins easy spin recovery. Focus on drive stability, no kicking or “slack” in the chain. Cool down.

You can embed these within your normal training schedule, e.g. 1–2 sessions a week, particularly on days when you have fresh legs or moderate recovery status.

Sample Weekly Microcycle Emphasising Coordination (for an Intermediate Rider)

Day	Session
Monday	Recovery ride or rest
Tuesday	Maximal‑burst technique workout
Wednesday	Endurance ride (Z1/Z2) with a few single‑leg drills
Thursday	Ultra‑short interval block
Friday	Easy spin + optional strength / neuromotor gym work
Saturday	Big gear / torque session within a longer ride
Sunday	Mixed high/low ride or endurance ride with coordination inserts

Ensure you allow recovery: neuromuscular stress, especially at maximal efforts, is taxing. Don’t overload.

Expected Adaptations & Monitoring

By systematically training neuromuscular coordination, you can expect:

• Reduced antagonistic or redundant muscle coactivation

• Tighter, more efficient synergy patterns (as indicated by increases in “Synergy Coordination Index” in the Ahmadi et al. framework)

• Better force transfer and smoother pedal strokes, especially under fatigue

• Potential improvements in power output per unit metabolic cost

To monitor progress:

• Use power smoothness metrics (if your cycling software supports it)

• Compare performance consistency (less drop-off) in repeated sprints

• Use video or pedal stroke analysis to assess wobble, path deviations

• Occasionally revisit EMG/synergy testing if you have access (in a lab setting)

• Track how neuromuscular fatigue (e.g. reduction in maximal voluntary contraction) changes post‑interval sessions over time

Caveats & Considerations

• The Ahmadi et al. (2025) synergy study is with recreational cyclists, so extrapolation to elite levels should be cautious. 

• High neuromuscular stress sessions should be used judiciously; overuse can lead to central fatigue or injury risk.

• Avoid interference: when combining strength and coordination training, consider separating them by time of day or day blocks to reduce mutual interference. 

• Not all riders will respond equally — individual variation in neuromuscular control and adaptation is large.

• Coordination improvements are slower and more subtle than gains in aerobic capacity; expect smaller incremental returns and emphasise consistency.

Conclusion

Recent advances in neuromuscular science, especially the notion of muscle synergies and how they change with power demand, suggest that refining coordination is a frontier for incremental performance gains in cycling. The research (notably Ahmadi et al. 2025) shows that as cyclists work at higher power, the nervous system narrows the synergy space, reducing wasteful coactivation and emphasising more efficient patterns. By designing workouts that emphasise high neural drive, short bursts, single‑leg control, and torque control under load, you can help your system “learn” better synergy patterns.