Weight to fitness ratio

[david k]

I keep reading about people losing weight, ive also lost about a stone from last summer.

What id like to understand is how much difference it makes to how muh effort you put in

if you ride a mile at 17 stone, how much less effort does it take to ride the same mile at 16 stone?

 

[Crackle]

Here, this should keep you entertained.

 

[david k]

Here, this should keep you entertained.

that looks good but im not sure i get it?

 

[Crackle]

that looks good but im not sure i get it?

Put in your weight or the weight you were on the right, then the weight you'd like to lose or have lost and press the results button. on the left it will then show you the difference over a hill of a certain length (2k is the default) in time saved if you lost the weight you put in, using the same theoretical power (250 watts is the default). The gradient is expressed as a decimal, which if I'm reading it right means a 33% hill would be 0.33 or a 6% hill would be 0.06.

Just mess about with it or stare at it long enough and it will begin to make sense.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

there is a flip side... you can improve your power output, appear to lose weight, and become a lot leaner, by focusing on retaining muscle mass. The scales will tell you very little is changing but you'll be faster as a result. Double win.

 

[Andrew_P]

there is a flip side... you can improve your power output, appear to lose weight, and become a lot leaner, by focusing on retaining muscle mass. The scales will tell you very little is changing but you'll be faster as a result. Double win.

That is more or less what I tell myself whenever I weigh myself, if nothing else it make me feel better...

 

[david k]

That is more or less what I tell myself whenever I weigh myself, if nothing else it make me feel better...

maybe it was a stone of muscle i put on last xmas?

 

[Ajay]

Here, this should keep you entertained.

So if I'm using it correctly I would've been 5 mins 40s quicker up the Ventoux last year if I'd been 5kg lighter.
Not really worth giving cake up for :-)

 

[Sittingduck]

Interesting stuff in this thread
It's difficult to gain muscle at the same time as losing weight but not impossible!

 

[david k]

Interesting stuff in this thread
It's difficult to gain muscle at the same time as losing weight but not impossible!

im trying to exclude that for now and just consider how much less effort is required to haul 17 stone to 16 stone, or 2 alternate weights

 

[VamP]

there is a flip side... you can improve your power output, appear to lose weight, and become a lot leaner, by focusing on retaining muscle mass. The scales will tell you very little is changing but you'll be faster as a result. Double win.

It's not necessary to increase muscle mass to improve your power output. Improving power to weight ratio can be accomplished most effectively by aerobic and threshold conditioning, combined with weight loss.

And to answer the OP, yes weight loss will improve your performance dramatically.

 

[david k]

It's not necessary to increase muscle mass to improve your power output. Improving power to weight ratio can be accomplished most effectively by aerobic and threshold conditioning, combined with weight loss.

And to answer the OP, yes weight loss will improve your performance dramatically.

i presumed it would, just wondered if theres a gauge apart from my own experience, which is the most important part of this i know

ive lost almost 1 1/2 stone since xmas, no fad diet just sensible eating, ive lost nothing for 2 weeks but then again i aint been out on my bike, so if i can stabilse with no exercise im doing ok.

when i rode couple of weeks ago i did feel lighter on the bike but after 30 mile i had nothing left

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It's not necessary to increase muscle mass to improve your power output. Improving power to weight ratio can be accomplished most effectively by aerobic and threshold conditioning, combined with weight loss.

And to answer the OP, yes weight loss will improve your performance dramatically.

Vamp I said retain not increase. Lots of people lose weight by shedding muscle mass almost as fast as they shed fat.

 

[Edge705]

Im 2 stone lighter than what I was 18 months ago lot leaner as well but ive always been fit IMO - I would say the 2 stone lighter has enabled me to go further with less fatigue its also allowed me to climb hills where before I would of had to stop half way but apart from that its only improved my commute time by 3 -5 minutes pretty neglidgable in terms of bike improvement but massivly significant in terms of wheight loss - perhaps you could conclude that by losing 15 percent of your body wheight only results in around 5 percent in terms of cycling ability. We all know that the more miles you put in on a bike will mean the more you improve but there is only so far you can go with the weight loss to improve your bike ability. Only this weekend I seen a giant of a bloke fly up a 25 percent graident albeit 50 meters or so but from an almost standing stop thats some going I reckon he was in the region of 14 - 15 stone.

 

[jowwy]

Im 2 stone lighter than what I was 18 months ago lot leaner as well but ive always been fit IMO - I would say the 2 stone lighter has enabled me to go further with less fatigue its also allowed me to climb hills where before I would of had to stop half way but apart from that its only improved my commute time by 3 -5 minutes pretty neglidgable in terms of bike improvement but massivly significant in terms of wheight loss - perhaps you could conclude that by losing 15 percent of your body wheight only results in around 5 percent in terms of cycling ability. We all know that the more miles you put in on a bike will mean the more you improve but there is only so far you can go with the weight loss to improve your bike ability. Only this weekend I seen a giant of a bloke fly up a 25 percent graident albeit 50 meters or so but from an almost standing stop thats some going I reckon he was in the region of 14 - 15 stone.

14/15 stone means a GIANT of a bloke - woooh there i'm of that weight and i wouldn't say i was anywhere near a gian of a bloke - we can't all be stick thin climbing machines you know.......