Calorie deficit for cyclists

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Lisa_Ookoo
Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been reading the threads on body recomp, and they seem to say you can't build muscles during a calorie deficit. I've also read that you shouldn't do cardio stuff like cycling if you want to get stronger. How does this apply to cyclists? I've lost about 14 lbs in the past year through cutting calories, and I've become a stronger faster cyclist during that time. I don't think it's just the weight loss, I think my leg muscles are actually stronger. Is there a contradiction or am I misunderstanding something?

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  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    The weight loss will make you faster up to a certain extent but should hit a stole at a certain point.
    How many km do you cycle daily / weekly and what style of cycling are you mostly into?
  • julyrunner
    julyrunner Posts: 79 Member
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    It's a bodybuilding myth that you can't build muscle while losing weight. You can.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
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    Road cycling. About 100 miles a week, 30 or 40 miles in the mountains (3500 feet of climbing ) the rest on level roads.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    Adaptation - weight loss has played a good part and possibly a good carb loading pre / post training does help?!

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    You can get stronger without gaining muscle
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Yes you can build muscle in a slight deficit - just a bodybuilder's myth that you can't and parroted by the uninformed. I did it and I'm ancient! As confirmed by measurements and scans BTW.
    Muscle respond to stimulus and it takes a significant deficit or and inadequate diet (nutrients or calories) to prevent that.

    No you don't have to avoid cardio when building muscle - have people never seen rugby players or rowers?
    But you do need to fuel your exercise properly obviously, the MFP "eat back exercise calories" is perfect for endurance cardio. Another myth is that cardio "burns muscle" which is nonsensical. Inactivity causes muscle loss, not exercise.

    Cycling also has a strong resistance element. I put an inch on my quads in 8 weeks purely from an intense training regime before a big event - in a slight deficit as well to get to "race weight".

    Yes strength increase =/= muscle growth. Yes better definition is mistaken for growth. Yes some people can't build muscle in a deficit (very lean, very highly trained for example). But most people are under trained and over fat and have capability to build muscle relatively easily compared to the elite.
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
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    Interested in this. I've started spinning average 5 hours a week, for the last 6 months and my thighs could smash watermelons. Not kidding. I've always been the weakest person but I was messing about with my MMA loving husband and I put him in a headlock with my thighs and he was freaked out. And a bit impressed.

    I'm losing weight still but my thighs are not flabby any more and my butt is super perky. My thighs have gained a few cm (which was not what I wanted) but can't stop/won't stop, although I might stop the heavy resistance and hill climbs a bit.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,954 Member
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    0okoo wrote: »
    I've been reading the threads on body recomp, and they seem to say you can't build muscles during a calorie deficit. I've also read that you shouldn't do cardio stuff like cycling if you want to get stronger. How does this apply to cyclists? I've lost about 14 lbs in the past year through cutting calories, and I've become a stronger faster cyclist during that time. I don't think it's just the weight loss, I think my leg muscles are actually stronger. Is there a contradiction or am I misunderstanding something?

    Me too. :)

    In the last year, I've lost 55 lbs AND put on a lot of leg muscle AND have gotten a lot stronger on the bicycle again.

  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    Strength DOESN'T equal to power. Strength is NOT a limiter in cycling. Cycling is an aerobic sport and muscle adaptation is diametrically opposite of strength training. (Type I vs Type II muscle, mitochondria density vs muscle fiber, etc). As you lose weight, you increase your power to weight ratio (even if you stay at the same power output). Strength training, weights, provides little benefit to cycle faster, longer, harder, etc.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    0okoo wrote: »
    I've lost about 14 lbs in the past year through cutting calories, and I've become a stronger faster cyclist during that time. I don't think it's just the weight loss, I think my leg muscles are actually stronger.
    abadvat wrote: »
    The weight loss will make you faster up to a certain extent but should hit a stole at a certain point.

    If you had a power meter, you could tell absolutely. Not muscle strength per se but your ability to generate power with your muscles, which is what matters for a cyclist. I'm not recommending you buy one, they're expensive and provide a limited and specific benefit, which most people won't care about. I'm just pointing it out because it's interesting, and not terribly well known.

    Riding in the mountains is like going to the gym for leg day. Otherwise, the limit is mostly your aerobic fitness and not your leg strength.

    I've lost weight over the winter and I've lost power. Overall I'm still faster, especially up hill.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
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    A lot of interesting information here. Thanks for your replies.
  • bekgirl5
    bekgirl5 Posts: 15 Member
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    I cycle every day and I've noticed considerable improvement in strength and endurance, and I eat around 1300 calories. I'd never give up cycling regardless, though!

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