Originally Posted by
TMonk
I think there are other benefits to being smaller as well, like accelerations and possibly recovery from going into the red. It kinda makes sense that the less excess blood there is to circulate, the faster you might clear lactate. VO2 max goes up also for this reason as you lose weight. I'm not a doctor or a physiologist, just sorta what I've thought.
Apart from anything else, the body's ability to cool itself is far better when not covered in a layer of fat; less likely to overheat in summer, less sweat, less hydration needed.
Just in general the machine runs more efficiently when it's lean.