More formally, chiroplasty, or cheiroplasty, is a term which refers to plastic surgery of the hands. The term combines root word chir(o), which means hand, and the suffix -plasty, which means surgical repair.
(How Do Your Muscles Work continued) Thousands of thin spaghetti-like fibers make up muscle tissue. These fibers receive messages from the brain, causing the fibers to contract. The main muscles at work in cycling are the quadriceps and hamstrings in the upper leg, and the gastrocnemius and soleus in the calf. These muscles contract in a sequence that creates the pedaling action. The quadriceps and hamstrings do most of the work when you ride a bicycle.
Keeping a brisk pace during bicycling burns more calories, whittling away body fat. Cycling at less than 10 mph burns only 235 to 370 calories in one hour, depending upon your weight. Add 2 mph to your pace and you burn 350 to 550 calories per hour, enough to lose up to 1 lb. of body fat per week if you exercise daily.