Cycling effect Post Xmas fat? Little

[Carlton green]

The only drawback the bicycle is just to efficient. One needs to log a reasonable mileage. One km trips to the shops will not cut it.

I reduce the efficiency of my bike by loading it up with weight on the rack. The weight there (circa 12kg) certainly has me pushing the pedals harder than would otherwise be necessary . Try riding a three speed bike too on some winter training runs, after that your thirty speed bike ‘ll fly.

[Nearholmer]

I reduce the efficiency of my bike

Unless it’s loaded to the point where the tyres are seriously squashed, I don’t think the efficiency will change, just the load to be lifted up hill, but I know what you mean.

I’ve often mused on why people (a) go on about the exercise benefits of cycling, and (b) do everything they can to make their bikes and their riding technique as efficient as they can, it seems a bit self-defeating to me, surely the maximum exercise would be obtained on a bike that wasted energy in every conceivable way, dreadfully boggy tyres, gears of appalling inefficiency, heavy as a cartload of anvils to carry uphill, draggy hubs, a riding posture that maximised wind resistance, that sort of thing.

Maybe I’ll see if I can make enough to retire to a large mansion in the country by marketing “The Maximum Exercise Cyle” based on these design concepts.

[Jdsk]

...
I’ve often mused on why people (a) go on about the exercise benefits of cycling, and (b) do everything they can to make their bikes and their riding technique as efficient as they can, it seems a bit self-defeating to me, surely the maximum exercise would be obtained on a bike that wasted energy in every conceivable way, dreadfully boggy tyres, gears of appalling inefficiency, heavy as a cartload of anvils to carry uphill, draggy hubs, a riding posture that maximised wind resistance, that sort of thing.
...

Ditto.

Zatopek used to train in army boots... “It is better to train under bad conditions, for the difference is then a tremendous relief in a race.".

Jonathan

[Mike Sales]

I reduce the efficiency of my bike

Unless it’s loaded to the point where the tyres are seriously squashed, I don’t think the efficiency will change, just the load to be lifted up hill, but I know what you mean.

I’ve often mused on why people (a) go on about the exercise benefits of cycling, and (b) do everything they can to make their bikes and their riding technique as efficient as they can, it seems a bit self-defeating to me, surely the maximum exercise would be obtained on a bike that wasted energy in every conceivable way, dreadfully boggy tyres, gears of appalling inefficiency, heavy as a cartload of anvils to carry uphill, draggy hubs, a riding posture that maximised wind resistance, that sort of thing.

Maybe I’ll see if I can make enough to retire to a large mansion in the country by marketing “The Maximum Exercise Cyle” based on these design concepts.

Your MEC doesn't sound much fun to ride. A bike which responds to your effort with the joy of flying up the road is more rewarding. I enjoy an efficient machine of any sort. On a good bike you can go further and higher in the same time and reach a bigger variety of interesting places.
As a great cyclist said, 'it doesn't get easier, you just go faster.'

[Jdsk]

I reduce the efficiency of my bike by loading it up with weight on the rack. The weight there (circa 12kg) certainly has me pushing the pedals harder than would otherwise be necessary .

I reduce the efficiency of my bike

Unless it’s loaded to the point where the tyres are seriously squashed, I don’t think the efficiency will change, just the load to be lifted up hill, but I know what you mean.
...

As always, the meaning of efficiency needs to be stated. In this case I'd guess that the intended meaning was something like energy expended/ distance travelled.

Jonathan

[mattheus]

...
I’ve often mused on why people (a) go on about the exercise benefits of cycling, and (b) do everything they can to make their bikes and their riding technique as efficient as they can, it seems a bit self-defeating to me, surely the maximum exercise would be obtained on a bike that wasted energy in every conceivable way, dreadfully boggy tyres, gears of appalling inefficiency, heavy as a cartload of anvils to carry uphill, draggy hubs, a riding posture that maximised wind resistance, that sort of thing.
...

Ditto.

Zatopek used to train in army boots... “It is better to train under bad conditions, for the difference is then a tremendous relief in a race.".

Jonathan

Doesn't really apply, as the majority of "fitness" cyclists don't race.

As Mike posted, leisure bike rides are mainly for the pleasure of moving through the countryside. So most riders want to get a fitness benefit AND get the joy of that almost-flying experience. Hence our (apparently) strange choices of equuipment, sometimes

[gbnz]

If you believe the researchers in this documentary. To lose weight cut down on FOOD. CYCLING/exercise has minimal effect.
**********************************************
I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

And to get back to the starting point? A 1% effort to adjust nutritional intake, does have more effect on both weight & fat levels, than a 100% of any form of exercise. Physiologically it's a very straight forward process. It's the psychological side which is more complex.

Think I'll by trying on those two suits I had made up when at the height of my "career". Doing upper body weights to a program from 19 October has been incredibly beneficial on returning to a decent diet, think trying the suits will give quite a boost! (Nb. As did paying 6 months gym membership upfront, for 24Hr access, being a tight &*^^&, paying out £'s is quite a motivating factor )

[briansnail]

"And to get back to the starting point? A 1% effort to adjust nutritional intake, does have more effect on both weight & fat levels, than a 100% of any form of exercise. Physiologically it's a very straight forward process. It's the psychological side which is more complex."


Anyone who sits for six hours per day increases his mortality rate by 20% (if female 40% reason unknown).Alarmingly It does not seem to matter how much you you exercise for the rest of the day.If you spend an evening on the seductive padding of your gluteus maximus you may nullify any benefits you gained during the day.Average number of calories 2,250 per person.Expended as below:

Heart 400 Calories
Brain 400 Calories
Kidneys 400 Calories
Liver 200 Calories
Eating/Digestion 225 Calories
(Source of extract Bill Bryson :The Body A guide for Occupants)
ps fats like Olive oil are good,eggs are back in favour .Dense Sugar foods are very very addictive.After the first bite one wants more and more (fruit excepted) fats less so

[Nearholmer]

Anyone who sits for six hours per day increases his mortality rate by 20% (if female 40% reason unknown).

That didn’t sound right to me, based on other things I’ve read or heard said by knowledgable bods, so I checked, and I don’t think it is right.

This paper seems to be the overall summary to look at:

https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s074 ... 20activity.

But (as usual!) the main conclusion seems to be “Hmmmm ….. this really needs to be studied further.”.

I mentioned further back up-thread the chap who studies the impact of our evolution on our health, and looks at activity patterns among hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers, his finding being that they sit for as long as “western” people each day, but that they do so in pauses from activity, and rarely for more than 15 minutes at any one time.

[Cugel]

Anyone who sits for six hours per day increases his mortality rate by 20% (if female 40% reason unknown).

That didn’t sound right to me, based on other things I’ve read or heard said by knowledgable bods, so I checked, and I don’t think it is right.

This paper seems to be the overall summary to look at:

https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s074 ... 20activity.

But (as usual!) the main conclusion seems to be “Hmmmm ….. this really needs to be studied further.”.

I mentioned further back up-thread the chap who studies the impact of our evolution on our health, and looks at activity patterns among hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers, his finding being that they sit for as long as “western” people each day, but that they do so in pauses from activity, and rarely for more than 15 minutes at any one time.

"Studies", eh?

[gbnz]

"And to get back to the starting point? A 1% effort to adjust nutritional intake, does have more effect on both weight & fat levels, than a 100% of any form of exercise. Physiologically it's a very straight forward process. It's the psychological side which is more complex."


Anyone who sits for six hours per day increases his mortality rate by 20% (if female 40% reason unknown).Alarmingly It does not seem to matter how much you you exercise for the rest of the day.If you spend an evening on the seductive padding of your gluteus maximus you may nullify any benefits you gained during the day.Average number of calories 2,250 per person.Expended as below:

Heart 400 Calories
Brain 400 Calories
Kidneys 400 Calories
Liver 200 Calories
Eating/Digestion 225 Calories
(Source of extract Bill Bryson :The Body A guide for Occupants)
ps fats like Olive oil are good,eggs are back in favour .Dense Sugar foods are very very addictive.After the first bite one wants more and more (fruit excepted) fats less so

Suppose all that matters, is ones own experience. Given I've a level of fitness & low fat levels which most of the UK's population have proved incapable of reaching, it doesn't really matter to me.

Have to have a quick spin to the gym today for upper body weights, may take the reasonably short(round) route (44 miles), initial few miles down the dual carriageway. Didn't get down the gym yesterday, heading back from the Lakes, jumped off the train and had a quick 20 mile walking along Hadrians Wall instead. Found the leg, thigh, pelvis broken into several pieces 13 months back were aching a bit, as were the broken vertebrae.

Never mind, no ambulance this time. Had the bizarre experience in March, of an emergency ambulance crew picking me off the station platform unconscious in Carlisle, heading back from the Lakes. Was allowed to go when I came around, made it to Newcastle, found myself coming around the next day in the cities principle hospital. They have quite decent sheets, had a volunteer running me the 70 mile. Haven't been in an acute unit, or emergency ambulance since 30 September, an incredible gap, as a Partially Disabled individual

Still, am aware that nutrition has a far greater effect, than exercise, on fat levels

[briansnail]

Given I've a level of fitness & low fat levels

Very Impressive .However do note.If we had a race to the North Pole in our Santa suits with zero rations.The person with the most fat would survive (probably me) as best adapted to the conditions.Survival not of the fittest but fattest..Darwin was right its not the fittest tat survive but those best adapted to the conditions.

Those men in their forties in tight fitting shorts disprove what they say about pint pots and quarts (The cycling club N Aubery)

[djnotts]

^"Anyone who sits for six hours per day increases his mortality rate by 20% (if female 40% reason unknown).Alarmingly It does not seem to matter how much you you exercise for the rest of the day.If you spend an evening on the seductive padding of your gluteus maximus you may nullify any benefits you gained during the day."

So 25 years at a desk 8 hours a day should have attracted danger money!

Even retired, what do I do from 5 ish til bedtime on dark winter evenings? Walk up and down the kitchen? I doubt that certainly in UK many people DON'T sit down for at least 6 hours a day. As a London commuter I sat over 2 hours a day just travelling to work!

Seems ensuring that I do exercise very nearly every day (I shall have averaged 105 cycling miles per week for the year) is pretty pointless. Other than it has kept/keeps my COPD at bay for as long as possible.

But I'm not a "big eater".

[Jon in Sweden]

If you believe the researchers in this documentary. To lose weight cut down on FOOD. CYCLING/exercise has minimal effect.

I think I caught the same Radio 4 progtramme on the topic.

I fundamentally disagree though. If you exercise, you burn energy. It has to come from somewhere.

I cycle 270km a week on average (52 weeks a year). That's about 10-12hrs, when balancing gravel, road and cycling in snow. I always push fairly hard, with an average of about 250w. So 11hrs at 250w is around 11,000kcal per week. I also do a fairly active job (sawmill machine operator, walking an average of 8km per shift around the machinery). I also do some other sports like swimming and table tennis and I do a couple of hours of resistance training each week.

In times I've been quite sendentary as an adult, my metabolism baselines at 3500kcal. For it to drop to that, I really have to be sitting on my ass for at least a couple of weeks, with no resistance or cardio exercise.

Currently, I'm on 6500kcal. Day in, day out, weight holding absolutely stable at 101kg.

So, empirically, it doesn't hold any water for me that exercise has no effect on calorie intake. I think that's probably reflected by the experiences of most people here too.

[JohnR]

I know that I tend to put on weight during the winter which is caused by a combination of being less active while cold weather makes me more hungry. Genes may be a factor in the individual response to additional consumption. I would expect the normal response to be to turn the excess into fat reserves ready for the next famine but perhaps there are those who have evolved to let the digestive system become less efficient.