cyclists - i keep getting fatter and fatter

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  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    There are a lot of variables that make it hard to estimate how much energy you need for cycling. A tail wind makes you faster but doesn't use more energy; a head wind makes you slower for the same effort. Traffic will do the same. Obviously so will hills. So will your position on the bike, how aerodynamic are you? Wind resistance is usually the #1 thing slowing most people down. Even the width and pressure of your tires matter because of rolling resistance - the reason it's harder to pedal on dirt than on pavement.

    But it can be measured easily and precisely.

    A power meter is a device that measures the torque and speed/RPMs that the torque is applied. It gives you a very objective measure of how much effort you put into the bike. From that, it's easy to narrow it down to a very small calorie range because humans have about the same efficiency on a bike for turning fats into mechanical work.

    You have to average about 125 watts to burn 500 kCal per hour on a bike. It doesn't matter how big or small you are or what gender or who you voted for. Your muscles must do a specific amount of work to burn a specific amount of calories. To burn 1,000 kCal per hour on a bike you have to average 250 watts for an hour which most people are not capable of.

    Asking a bunch of apps for a guess might be simpler but it does not get much more accurate than what I've just said.
  • DTrain351
    DTrain351 Posts: 37 Member
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    Got it NC! Thanks for the info. I'm Def gonna invest some money in a power meter and HR monitor and see what I come up with!

  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    "Might" have hit 1k if it was an actual 50.
    Something is off. Here is my last solo ride at endurance pace (Z2). I have a Stages power meter (zero reset prior to the ride) so the calories burnt is some what accurate assuming 25% efficiency (which I'm no where near).
    2kx4j94qpip5.pngj35a79zfphl7.png

    OP, I'm the opposite: hungry on days I don't ride. I been on the last 10 pounds for the last two years, lol.
    p1.png 86.3K
    p2.png 27.7K
  • joolieb1
    joolieb1 Posts: 140 Member
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    I have not lost even a pound since I started running! However, heart and lung fitness is great, muscle tone much improved too and mental health, confidence and mood great. Still need to be in calorie deficit in order to lose and that is the hard part,mi deserve bacon and egg after running all that distance LOL
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    To burn 1,000 kCal per hour on a bike you have to average 250 watts for an hour which most people are not capable of.

    Amazing the power that TdF riders put out each day for so many hours.

    Each day participants ride, on average, about 110 miles and burn some 6,071 calories

    http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/tour-de-france/pro-power-analysis-stages-18-19-at-the-tour-de-france_296653

    http://www.bicycling.com/training/2015-tour-de-france/you-versus-tour-de-france-pro

    As you mention, power meter gizmos are the most accurate.


  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,943 Member
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    SingingSingleTracker wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    To burn 1,000 kCal per hour on a bike you have to average 250 watts for an hour which most people are not capable of.

    Amazing the power that TdF riders put out each day for so many hours.

    That's why they can ride the TdF ... and we can't. :)



  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    kcjchang wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    "Might" have hit 1k if it was an actual 50.
    Something is off. Here is my last solo ride at endurance pace (Z2). I have a Stages power meter (zero reset prior to the ride) so the calories burnt is some what accurate assuming 25% efficiency (which I'm no where near).
    2kx4j94qpip5.pngj35a79zfphl7.png

    OP, I'm the opposite: hungry on days I don't ride. I been on the last 10 pounds for the last two years, lol.

    Yea, I have no idea. I'm not using a power meter. Just the Garmin and HRM. Strava had me at 1900 calories for the same ride, but I always assumed that was nuts. Average estimated power 1749 output and average of 230 watts. Not sure how accurate that stuff is and don't much care. I'm not a cyclist, I just like to ride bikes :)
  • Oarsome_Fitness
    Oarsome_Fitness Posts: 3 Member
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    do you snack throughout the ride? If you eat as you go (nothing big, but something filling) you might find you fight off the hunger at the end.

    I personally finish and eat something purposefully small but know it'll help recovery (e.g. a protein shake and a slice of malt loaf or something) and wait 60-90 minutes before having a big meal. I used to do the same wtih rowing to ensure I wasn't overeating immediately post exercise when you feel like you could complete a Man vs Food challenge.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    SingingSingleTracker wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    To burn 1,000 kCal per hour on a bike you have to average 250 watts for an hour which most people are not capable of.

    Amazing the power that TdF riders put out each day for so many hours.

    That's why they can ride the TdF ... and we can't. :)

    Yup. It's humbling. So too is any professional sport and what the athletes can do compared to "us" who play the same game/sports.

    I'm just supporting the above thread of what it actually takes to push 250 watts or more for an hour.

    Handy dandy chart of "us" vs. the "pros" is right here:

    27142344130_950c743917_o.jpg

    With years of training, I scratched and clawed my way into the Good Weekend Racer realm and without obtaining new genetics, that's where I have remained.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
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    I ride 3 or 4 times a week - typical do sprints on trails for 60 to 90 minutes. Sometimes I go through a few day period where I am very hungry (or is it hangry) - more so than usual. I usually let the scale tell me how much I can indulge.

    And of course - more protein in your diet can help assuage some of the hunger issues.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    You have to average about 125 watts to burn 500 kCal per hour on a bike. It doesn't matter how big or small you are or what gender or who you voted for. Your muscles must do a specific amount of work to burn a specific amount of calories. To burn 1,000 kCal per hour on a bike you have to average 250 watts for an hour which most people are not capable of.

    Asking a bunch of apps for a guess might be simpler but it does not get much more accurate than what I've just said.


    Technically its 277 watts for an hour to burn 1000 cal. Even a larger person is going to have a hard time getting there. At a certain point watts are watts. Just because someone is 230lbs doesn't mean they can actually sustain that amount of power.

    277 watts for an hour is close to the limit of my capabilities. My FTP was last measured at 290w. At 145lbs that puts me at 4.4W/kg at FTP. I am fast on the bike, but there are plenty of guys who simply kick my butt all day.

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    edited June 2016
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    1 watt = 1 Joule/second
    1 hour = 3,600 seconds
    277 w * 3,600 sec = 997,200 kJ

    kJ * 1.1 to 1.15 ~= kC

    The last step is factoring in your efficiency at turning the calories into kiloJoules.

    At least that's how I do it in my head. My Garmin (Fenix 3) just takes the kJ I did and changes the label to calories. My other Garmin (Edge 800) does something else, I'm not sure what.

    But in any case it's not a huge difference and to your point, 277w is even harder to maintain than 250w.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Maybe you need to add some cross training? Try jump rope or something like kick boxing or something that seems fun to you and see if a shorter duration a couple times a week shows improvement. I just wonder if you might have reached some sort of fitness threshold with cycling. Completely unscientific there. ;) That or some changes in macros and micro nutrients and such.


    sijomial wrote: »
    It's odd but cycling, even long distance, doesn't make me particularly hungry despite large calorie burns.

    Strength training is the opposite, low calorie burn but very hungry.

    When I'm cutting weight I tend to have a mixture of maintenance days and deficit days to keep my energy levels high but still achieve an overall weekly calorie deficit.

    Yeah this is more me. Especially, my guess, in recovery time from lifting.

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