I went to the definitative authority, they say hiking improves cycling fitness. So, it must be true.....I am GTG
I actually started hiking as part of a plan to reverse osteoporosis in my hips. I went for -2.6 to +0.3 over 18 months. That is a Z score or relative standard deviation from my population norm.
https://www.bicycling.com/training/g...hese-7-sports/