A study has caused a furore: Germans are among the heaviest people in Europe. The German government has even launched an action plan to combat obesity and lack of exercise. But what about the weight of bikers? We can help you lose weight.
Bikers are rarely classic pavement armourers. But a few kilos less would also do many of us good. If you pay a little attention to your diet, your bike is the ideal machine for losing weight. Weight loss follows very clear rules: If you want to get rid of the little rolls, you have to have a negative energy balance, in other words: eat less than you consume. To increase your basal metabolic rate of calories, you need to exercise. This increases the total amount of energy consumed. The "FdH" principle - eat half as much - should be avoided, as the body quickly gets used to the reduced calorie intake and lowers the basal metabolic rate.
Pay attention to your diet
If you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer carbohydrates, but lots of protein, fish, low-fat meat and poultry, plenty of fruit, vegetables and salad. No big meals two hours before training. If you are hungry before exercise, a banana or protein shake will help. After training, a high-protein, low-fat meal is on the menu. Carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice should only be eaten in small quantities after exercise. Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals as well as healthy vegetable fats.
How bike beginners should train
Bike beginners should go for two to three hour rides two to three times a week. The heart rate (HR) should be in the basic endurance 1 range (G1). Advanced cyclists need to work out more intensively to achieve the same weight loss effects. Get on your bike three to four times a week for two to three hours each time and train in the G1 and G2 range. And also step on the gas sometimes, because if you train in the low HR range, you burn more fat as a percentage, but fewer calories overall. Those who train more intensively, on the other hand, burn less fat in percentage terms, but more calories overall from the fat depot. For example, you burn around 300 calories in one hour of training at 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate. Of these 300 calories burned, around 50 per cent are fat. If, on the other hand, you train for an hour at 80 per cent of your maximum heart rate, your body burns around 600 calories. Although the proportion of fat at this intensity is only 40 per cent, the total is around 240 fat calories. So, cycling faster means higher fat loss.
Two principles for losing weight
1. the body must be supplied with less energy than it consumes
2. sport (such as mountain biking) increases the basal metabolic rate
Basic training for burning fat
G1 = basic endurance with 60-70% of maximum heart rate
G2 = basic endurance with 70-80% of maximum heart rate
