Healthy weight loss for mountain bikers: Slim & fast thanks to expert tips
The topics of body weight and weight loss are important in almost every sport. In cycling, however, the rider's mass plays a very special role. A few kilos less can make a big difference, especially for mountain biking, where the going is up and down, and there are always pedalling uphill and downhill sections.
Particularly in racing disciplines such as marathon and cross-country, it is easier to accelerate up short climbs and accelerate after bends with less weight. Supporting the body requires less energy when pedalling out of the saddle, leaving more for propulsion.
More petite riders are often more agile and manoeuvrable - and last but not least, it is easier for many experienced bikers to reduce their weight instead of building up more strength. After all, if you can put the same power on the pedals with less body mass, you will be faster on the road. An athlete who can maintain a speed of 9.78 km/h on a five-kilometre climb with 80 kilograms and 250 watts of power, for example, can theoretically do the same at 10.32 km/h with five kilograms less - without having to turn a single adjusting screw.
For hobby cyclists, a moderate weight reduction can contribute to higher performance, more riding enjoyment and better health. A lower weight often means that longer climbs or rides and training sessions are less strenuous and energy consumption is lower, which can be a limiting factor, especially during very long sessions. - Philipp Rauscher, nutrition expert and nutrition education officer at the German Cycling Federation (BDR)
Lose weight with a sense of proportion
Professional athletes often deliberately put on a little weight in the off-season to give their minds and bodies a chance to recover. A decline in performance is intentional so that the nervous system and body cells can regenerate.
"Professionals usually have a very good feeling for their body weight in the off-season, which is certainly a few kilograms higher than their competition weight during the season," explains nutritionist Dr Mareike Großhauser, who also looks after top athletes at the Rhineland-Palatinate/Saarland Olympic training centre.
During the season, she says, they eat consciously and consume the macronutrients carbohydrates, fats and protein in a sufficient and controlled manner, whereby "carbohydrate periodisation - for example, less in the quiet training routine, more in the run-up to a race - helps to only load the muscle tank accordingly when it needs to be called upon due to high load intensities and long training sessions".
The situation is different for amateur athletes who want to lose weight: Especially in the winter months, it can make sense for them to lose a few excess kilos. Then, when most people don't have any races on the calendar anyway, most of their training is basic. Spread over several weeks, the high training volumes are perfect for slimming down.
In this way, the competition weight can be achieved slowly and in small steps. Losing weight is no longer effective if it impairs energy availability. If too little energy is available, as is usually the case with crash diets, regeneration, the immune system and performance suffer. The risk of injury also increases if the calorie deficit is permanently too high.
Reducing body weight further and further at any cost is neither sensible nor advisable". Philipp Rauscher, nutrition expert and BDR nutrition education officer
The most important weight loss tips for mountain bikers
Want to lose weight, but not at the expense of your health and performance? Not so easy. It's not without reason that the media is full of well-intentioned weight loss recommendations, slimming programmes and diet guides. We asked experts what cyclists should really pay attention to when losing weight. Here are the most important tips.
1. lose weight: Here's how
Nutrition expert Philipp Rauscher summarises the recommended strategy for losing weight in four points:
- Use carbohydrates wisely: Reduce simple sugars (sweets, etc.), but ensure sufficient intake of complex carbohydrates (e.g. wholemeal products) before intensive training sessions
- Eat a protein-rich diet: Sufficient protein supports muscle maintenance during weight loss.
- Focus on nutrients: Don't neglect fruit, vegetables and healthy fats (e.g. fish, nuts)
- Set realistic goals: 0.5-1% weight loss per week is sustainable and gentle
Healthy weight reduction is based on a moderate calorie deficit through a balanced diet and regular physical activity. - Philipp Rauscher, nutrition expert and BDR nutrition education officer
2. how is the energy requirement calculated?
The daily energy requirement consists of basal metabolic rate (resting energy/sleep) and performance metabolic rate (activity energy). The basic metabolic rate rule of thumb is: 1 calorie per kilo of body weight (0.9 for women) and hour (e.g. 1 kcal x 75 kg x 24 h = 1,800 kcal). The best way to measure your energy expenditure throughout the day is with a sports watch. Adding both values together is the daily energy requirement. To lose weight healthily, you should stay at most 500 kcal below this.
3. do bikers need nutritional supplements?
Food supplements provide nutrients and active ingredients in concentrated form. As athletes have an increased requirement, taking them can make sense. However, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) advises that the need for nutritional supplements should always be critically scrutinised and should only be taken in a targeted manner if a doctor identifies a deficiency or deficit.
4. how can cravings be avoided?
Cravings, i.e. the sudden and uncontrollable need to eat something quickly, occur when the blood sugar level is too low. The body obtains most of the glucose, i.e. the sugar in the blood, from food. More precisely: from various carbohydrates. It can directly utilise fast carbohydrates such as glucose, sweets or white flour products. The blood sugar level rises quickly and falls just as quickly - a (pressing) feeling of hunger arises. Complex carbohydrates, e.g. from wholegrains, vegetables or pulses, are absorbed more slowly as the body has to break them down first. The blood sugar rollercoaster ride is cancelled and the athlete stays full for longer.
Prioritise unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods and plan regular meals. Avoid crash diets and extreme energy deficits at all costs. - Philipp Rauscher, nutrition expert and BDR nutrition education officer
RED-S deficiency syndrome: when losing weight becomes dangerous
However, there are limits to the pursuit of low body weight, especially in sport. As tempting as it may be to improve your performance by losing weight, the endeavour should never be at the expense of your health. Losing too much weight is dangerous. We spoke to ecotrophologist Dr Mareike Großhauser about RED-S. The expert advises both top athletes and amateur athletes on nutritional issues and knows how to recognise the deficiency syndrome.
BIKE: What is RED-S, Dr Großhauser?
Dr Mareike Großhauser: In connection with sport, we speak of Relative Energyddeficit in the Sport, or RED-S for short, when too little is eaten during high training loads. The body is then left with too little energy for important organ activities, meaning that the perceived stress can have far-reaching consequences depending on the duration and level of the inadequate supply.
Which ones, for example?
RED-S is very versatile, as all organ systems can be affected. It can manifest itself in mental discomfort, anxiety, increased stress levels, stress fractures, bone oedema, thyroid dysfunction, increased susceptibility to infections, cycle irregularities, poor regenerative capacity, lack of performance or insomnia.
Who is particularly at risk?
Anyone who does a lot of sport can be a potential candidate. Inadequate food intake does not have to be deliberate, but can "happen" due to a lack of appetite, lack of time or during the growth phase.
What can be done with RED-S?
Anyone who recognises symptoms should seek support at an early stage. As a rule, gynaecologists or sports physicians will refer you to a sports-related nutritionist. Ideally, interdisciplinary support can be provided with the involvement of a trainer, sports psychologist and sports physician or gynaecologist. With the help of an individual roadmap, which primarily includes an increase in energy intake and optimisation of the macronutrient supply, the aim is to regenerate the body, which - depending on the severity - can take a few months.
