Mechanical Engineering PhD Student LI Xiangru Won Best Student Paper Award at icSPORTS 2025

Mechanical Engineering PhD student LI Xiangru was honored with the Best Student Paper Award for his paper titled “Balance of Upper Limb Muscle Activation and Aerodynamics for Cycling Posture Optimization” at the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support (icSPORTS 2025) held in Marbella, Spain, on October 20-21, 2025.

The paper was co-authored by his supervisors Prof. ZHANG Xin, Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Prof. ZHOU Peng, Research Assistant Professor of Integrative Systems and Design.

More about the paper:
Cycling postures significantly influence aerodynamic performance in competitive cycling, yet aggressive postures may increase muscle activation and lead to adverse physiological effects. This study evaluated the aerodynamic drag area (CdA) of various cycling postures in a wind tunnel, revealing a strong correlation with decreasing forearm angles. Surface electromyography (sEMG) tests were conducted to assess upper limb muscle activation across postures, identifying the triceps brachii (TB) as dominant in maintaining both hoods and drops positions (46.9% and 40.2% of total activation, respectively). Additionally, this study explores the trade-off between aerodynamic gains and muscle activation by examining the relationship between CdA and composite EMG. A Pareto front analysis identified locally optimal postures that balance these factors, potentially enhancing overall cyclist performance.