does cycling kill upper body muscle?

[Irish_Marty]

Maybe you should google it.

This is the first hit


by Scooby Werkstatt - in 1,255 Google+ circles
Cardio does not burn muscle, this stupid myth will just not die. Crash diets and bad nutrition burn muscle, not cardio. Cardio can help you gain muscle


Cardio does not burn muscle, there is no metabolic pathway for it to do so. If Cancellara does weights, he will do some corrective stuff in the off-season. Road cyclists don't do weights as a rule, it's pointless.

Maybe you were being ironic and I missed it.

Issues relating to cardio and overtraining revolve around intensity and frequency. Simply put, the more cardio you do, and the more intense it is, the more your strength and growth will be negatively affected due to excessive stresses put on both the central nervous system and muscles being worked (usually the legs get it the worst).
I think the positives of including cardio when you’re bulking clearly outweigh the negatives, especially considering the fact that the negatives are easily dealt with.
I guess different people have different things to say about it and me and you who are just reading what others have to say about it will just have to choose who we agree with because wether you can admit it or not and I know I can we're both ignorant when it comes to the science of building muscle.

 

[VamP]

....we're both ignorant when it comes to the science of building muscle.

That's a bit of a wild and wrong guess on your part.

 

[Irish_Marty]

That's a bit of a wild and wrong guess on your part.

I have my doubts. If you knew your stuff you would not of past me something you read of google. You would of jumped at the chance to tell of you're knowledge.

 

[Rob3rt]

I have my doubts. If you knew your stuff you would not of past me something you read of google. You would of jumped at the chance to tell of you're knowledge.

And you would have demanded some "evidence" which would have inevitably come from searching the internet, rather than scanning in a page of book, so he was just getting to the point!

 

[VamP]

I have my doubts. If you knew your stuff you would not of past me something you read of google. You would of jumped at the chance to tell of you're knowledge.

Nothing to do with your invitation to google it then? When the very first hit says the exact opposite? Maybe I just jumped at the chance to show your suggestion to be nonsensical.

Endurance sports use blood glucose and muscle glycogen as preferred sources of fuel. They will also use body stores of lipids (but this is a more difficult pathway, and will not provide as rapid access to fuel). The metabolic pathway that will breakdown muscle protein for fuel is only engaged in extreme situations, such as fasting for a number of days. Which is not a situation that arises in endurance sports. Maybe read this. It's the chapter on substrate availability and utilization that you want. Although you might benefit from reading the whole thing

 

[Linford]

If it helps, the hills I am cycling around here (well one in particular) played a major factor in knackering my shoulder due to the amount of effort needed to hold the bike and pedal up the 30+% gradient.

 

[simon.r]

Has anyone mentioned MTB'ing yet?

I'm not suggesting a few miles on a bridleway will substitute for weightlifting in a gym, but riding reasonably technical off road trails works the upper body a lot more than road riding IME.

 

[madpensioner]

It may well be right for you at 73 to push some weights - but in general terms, weight training offers no benefit to someone's ability to ride a bike.

I must tell Bradley Wiggins to get rid of his gym - its built on to the side of his bungalow . He uses weights during the winter - it strengthens his back muscles . He also uses squats to strengthen his thighs
I only take advice from the experts.
Cheers - Leigh

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I must tell Bradley Wiggins to get rid of his gym - its built on to the side of his bungalow . He uses weights during the winter - it strengthens his back muscles . He also uses squats to strengthen his thighs
I only take advice from the experts.
Cheers - Leigh

Of which Bradley is not one.

 

[vickster]

He's quite good at cycling though and has a staff of experts to advise him presumably

 

[Dusty Bin]

I must tell Bradley Wiggins to get rid of his gym - its built on to the side of his bungalow . He uses weights during the winter - it strengthens his back muscles . He also uses squats to strengthen his thighs
I only take advice from the experts.
Cheers - Leigh

I'm not really interested in what 'Bradley' does, to be fair. People lift weights for all kinds of reasons - but impoving cycling performance generally isn't one of them. Perhaps you could tell me the specific benefit to be gained by strengthening the thigh muscles?

 

[DooDah]

Come and load door impact beams half the day , that will keep your upper body going

Yeah, or oak framing in France. I could do with a hand, or two big arms

 

[madpensioner]

Of which Bradley is not one.

If he isnt - who is ???

 

[Dusty Bin]

If he isnt - who is ???

Anecdotal evidence of cyclists pushing weights is not proof that it is the right thing to do. What other evidence do you have? I have asked you already, but you seem to be ignoring my questions...

 

[madpensioner]

I'm not really interested in what 'Bradley' does, to be fair. People lift weights for all kinds of reasons - but impoving cycling performance generally isn't one of them. Perhaps you could tell me the specific benefit to be gained by strengthening the thigh muscles?

Here endeth the lesson - the editor