The leaders of the respective governing bodies held a meeting in Monaco.

Lappartient claimed that the meeting had been a "productive day of talks, sharing knowledge and ideas on sport development".

The sports are considered to be among two of the largest on the Summer Olympic Games programme.

Lappartient claimed there were similarities between the sports in helping the general public to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

"Athletics and cycling are two major Olympic sports that take into account similar considerations," the UCI President said.

"Our Federations are committed to improving the attractiveness of our top-class events but also to developing the practice of our respective sports in everyday life to ensure we all live in a sustainable and healthy environment."

Among the UCI initiatives is their Bike City status, awarded to cities and regions to recognise their commitment to grow and promote everyday cycling.

The possibility of collaboration between the sports was among the topics discussed at the meeting.

Creating greater opportunities for athletes to make a living from their sport was also a topic on the agenda.

The IAAF revealed their partnership with the United Nations Environment (UNEP) in a bid to address air quality was discussed.

"Athletics and cycling are the two sports most uniquely placed to address the physical activity agenda," an IAAF spokesperson told insidethegames.

"Most people who do or think about physical activity choose to run, walk or ride a bike.

"We talked about the health and fitness agenda and what we could do together or how we could support each other’s activities.

"We also talked about the IAAF/UNEP clean air partnership, how we are each tackling the important issue of creating greater opportunities for athletes to make a living from our sports and we shared the challenges and successes of our governance structures and frameworks."

The IAAF’s five-year collaboration with UNEP was announced last year, with support also coming from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

The partnership involves developing an "air quality monitoring network" seeking to link almost 1,000 athletics tracks around the world within five-years.

Other ideas include the creation of a ""major city network of air quality monitors" that can help runners choose the best times to run in their cities.

Air pollution has been a concern at athletics events, particularly those held in China.