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REVIEW article

Front. Physiol.

Sec. Exercise Physiology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1633217

Physiological and Physical Characteristics of BMX Freestyle Athletes: A Preliminary Review

Provisionally accepted
Weibao  LiangWeibao Liang1Yu  HouYu Hou2Chuannan  LiuChuannan Liu1Shuhui  MaShuhui Ma1Yue  ZongYue Zong1Xujie  YanXujie Yan1*
  • 1South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
  • 2Kunsan National University, Gunsansi, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

BMX Freestyle, a newly recognized Olympic discipline, demands athletes perform intricate, high-intensity maneuvers during 60-second competitive runs. Despite the sport's rapid evolution, there is a notable scarcity of scientific investigation into the distinct physiological and physical attributes of its athletes. This preliminary review synthesizes the extant literature to delineate the key physiological and physical characteristics of BMX Freestyle athletes and to identify pressing directions for future research. Elite male athletes typically present with lower body fat percentages, contributing to an advantageous power-to-weight ratio. Physiologically, these athletes demonstrate substantial anaerobic power, crucial for executing aerial maneuvers and complex rotational skills. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is typically moderate, likely facilitating inter-competition recovery and the capacity to sustain demanding training regimens. Musculoskeletally, athletes require high lower-limb explosive power for jump amplitude, significant upper-body strength for bike control and landing impact attenuation, and robust core musculature for executing complex aerial rotations. Furthermore, highly developed neuromuscular control, including dynamic balance, precise muscle activation patterns, and coordination, is foundational for performing advanced skills. This synthesis provides an evidence-based framework for optimizing training protocols focused on explosive power and eccentric strength, developing quantitative talent identification models, and implementing targeted injury prevention strategies that address the unique demands of the human-bicycle interface. Future research should focus on validating these applications and investigating the characteristics of female competitors to advance athlete health and performance in this evolving Olympic sport.

Keywords: BMX Freestyle, Physiological characteristics, physical characteristics, Strength and conditioning, Action sports, performance

Received: 22 May 2025; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Liang, Hou, Liu, Ma, Zong and Yan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Xujie Yan, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

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