Why exercise produces less weight loss than you might expect
05-02-24, 06:59 AM
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Let's hope so -- a 15 watt discrepancy is pretty big, and would affect zones and TSS estimates (not that zones or TSS estimates are that critical -- I'm just saying they'd be affected).
05-10-24, 05:39 AM
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I have a weird issue. According to my "Traits" on Ancestry.com, I have the muscle composition of an "elite power lifter." This strikes me as ironic because if there's anything I don't like it's power lifting. But, it might explain some things. Like not doing any resistance training for a year, coming back to it and being able to lift the same weight within a couple weeks. And, to the issue of weight, if I start lifting I will jump from 187 lbs to 195 lbs quickly. I'm wondering if the leg fitness I gain cycling might cause weight gain that offsets the calorie expenditure. I don't know.
05-10-24, 09:43 AM
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I have a weird issue. According to my "Traits" on Ancestry.com, I have the muscle composition of an "elite power lifter." This strikes me as ironic because if there's anything I don't like it's power lifting. But, it might explain some things. Like not doing any resistance training for a year, coming back to it and being able to lift the same weight within a couple weeks. And, to the issue of weight, if I start lifting I will jump from 187 lbs to 195 lbs quickly. I'm wondering if the leg fitness I gain cycling might cause weight gain that offsets the calorie expenditure. I don't know.
05-10-24, 10:12 AM
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Besides tracking calories via power meters on all my bikes, I also have a smart watch(not the most accurate measurement, I know.) My current observation, now that I'm currently in a high level of fitness, is that my non-exercise calorie burn rate is much lower than when I was in lesser fitness. I'm just more efficient than I used to be, and don't reach the same HR outside of actual exercise.
That being said, exercise still plays a huge part in my daily caloric needs. Based on power, my estimated caloric loss from even an easy ride is still 1000 calories...from there, 2k to 4k calories over baseline, is fairly normal on my outdoor rides. These numbers are pretty accurate, as I can easily lose, gain, or maintain weight off of them. A side benefit of doing longer rides, is my ability to consume 4-5k calories a day and not gain weight.
That being said, exercise still plays a huge part in my daily caloric needs. Based on power, my estimated caloric loss from even an easy ride is still 1000 calories...from there, 2k to 4k calories over baseline, is fairly normal on my outdoor rides. These numbers are pretty accurate, as I can easily lose, gain, or maintain weight off of them. A side benefit of doing longer rides, is my ability to consume 4-5k calories a day and not gain weight.
05-10-24, 10:29 AM
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Besides tracking calories via power meters on all my bikes, I also have a smart watch(not the most accurate measurement, I know.) My current observation, now that I'm currently in a high level of fitness, is that my non-exercise calorie burn rate is much lower than when I was in lesser fitness. I'm just more efficient than I used to be, and don't reach the same HR outside of actual exercise.
05-10-24, 11:03 AM
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05-10-24, 11:43 AM
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BMR is primarily a function of lean body mass, yes?
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05-10-24, 11:51 AM
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05-10-24, 01:08 PM
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From all that I've read/youtubed it seems like there is accurate information, although limited, on these types of sites. And, it does seem consistent with my personal experience.Another example is their assertion that based on my genetic profile there is a great chance that caffeine (coffee in my case) has little to no effect on me. and, in fact, I drink coffee constantly with no affect. I could and have had several cups of black coffee just before bed and fall asleep quickly as usual.
Last edited by bruce19; 05-10-24 at 01:15 PM.
05-10-24, 02:21 PM
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From all that I've read/youtubed it seems like there is accurate information, although limited, on these types of sites. And, it does seem consistent with my personal experience.Another example is their assertion that based on my genetic profile there is a great chance that caffeine (coffee in my case) has little to no effect on me. and, in fact, I drink coffee constantly with no affect. I could and have had several cups of black coffee just before bed and fall asleep quickly as usual.
As to youtube telling you that such sites are accurate, I suggest you consider a little deeper. There are different meanings to the term "accurate". These DNA tests may be highly accurate in some respects - i.e., in identifying whether you are related to somebody else, but the relationship between your DNA and your biochemical or neuromuscular traits cannot be any more accurate than the limits of our present scientific understanding of these connections. And these are indeed limited. Caveat Emptor.
You will note that (at least as far as I know) pro teams do not do DNA tests to determine which young cyclists will develop the greatest power numbers or VO2 max. They put the kid on the bike and see how many watts he/she can crank out. Or, if you prefer....
though few genes have now been repeatedly associated with elite athletic performance, these associations are not strong enough to be predictive and the use of genetic testing of these variants in talent selection is premature
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05-10-24, 03:23 PM
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The watch is imperfect, it's estimated BMR is fixed off of weight. It's poorly worded on my part, but what I meant was that my estimated daily average caloric expenditure(not including riding) has gone down. I'm not nessicarily talking BMR, but all the daily activities and movements that aren't necessarily exercise. I typically don't work at a desk and I'm pretty active even outside of riding, but my average HR is lower doing those activities. I know the watch is inaccurate, and to me a watt of movement is still a watt, regardless of the heart rate. So I wonder if I'm truly burning less calories doing those daily activities or if I just do it at a lower heart rate.
05-10-24, 05:07 PM
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The watch is imperfect, it's estimated BMR is fixed off of weight. It's poorly worded on my part, but what I meant was that my estimated daily average caloric expenditure(not including riding) has gone down. I'm not nessicarily talking BMR, but all the daily activities and movements that aren't necessarily exercise. I typically don't work at a desk and I'm pretty active even outside of riding, but my average HR is lower doing those activities. I know the watch is inaccurate, and to me a watt of movement is still a watt, regardless of the heart rate. So I wonder if I'm truly burning less calories doing those daily activities or if I just do it at a lower heart rate.
05-11-24, 09:38 PM
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Been dedicated to my garage gym for 27 weeks and actually gained weight while losing fat or at least making the body fat firmer lol. I’m lucky to be a mesomorph so I gain muscle easily even at 56.
My doctor says it comes down to diet most of all.
My doctor says it comes down to diet most of all.
05-12-24, 09:01 AM
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I have a weird issue. According to my "Traits" on Ancestry.com, I have the muscle composition of an "elite power lifter." This strikes me as ironic because if there's anything I don't like it's power lifting. But, it might explain some things. Like not doing any resistance training for a year, coming back to it and being able to lift the same weight within a couple weeks. And, to the issue of weight, if I start lifting I will jump from 187 lbs to 195 lbs quickly. I'm wondering if the leg fitness I gain cycling might cause weight gain that offsets the calorie expenditure. I don't know.
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05-13-24, 05:23 AM
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Congratulations! You may not have to worry about sarcopenia. Weight gain comes from too many calories, doesn't matter if it's muscle or fat. Those skinny pros spend time in the gym, they just ride a lot and don't eat more than they need to, meal composition carefully controlled. A talent for GTs is the ability to recover and not lose muscle mass. Good on you.
Last edited by bruce19; 05-13-24 at 05:51 AM.
05-13-24, 09:03 AM
#42
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This is something that has been touched on many times in T&N, though I don't see a particular thread on it.
Lots of folks have pointed out that exercise (or rather, exercise alone) doesn't lead to weight loss. More specific would be that if your data tracking (power meter, etc.) tells you that you are burning x calories/week, over the long term, you aren't going to lose x/3500 pounds week (where 1 lb. = 3500 calories, usually).
A lot of this is commonly ascribed to greater food intake - exercise makes you hungrier, or you give yourself license to eat more b/c you had a long ride, or you consume calories as fuel before and during your ride.
The interesting and relatively new dimension (last 10 years or so) is metabolic compensation. The idea is that if you tire yourself out with a ride, you do less during the day. E.g., from calories you burn Saturday morning, you must subtract the calories you aren't burning Saturday afternoon because you're sitting on the couch, rather than doing household chores. Or because of your pre-work workout, you are tired and therefore are fidgeting less in your chair at work. From my understanding, some metabolic compensation isn't even voluntary - i.e., it's an evolutionary mechanism to conserve energy that kicks in, regardless of your level of non-workout activity.
There have been some good articles on this.
Here's one in the NYT (behind a paywall). https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/22/w...-calories.html
Another, from Vox. https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/1684543...-burn-calories
For me, the take home message isn't that you can't lose weight from exercise. From my own experience, I know that I can. Rather, it is that exercise is a rather limited weight loss tool, with net results likely to be smaller than one might hope.
Lots of folks have pointed out that exercise (or rather, exercise alone) doesn't lead to weight loss. More specific would be that if your data tracking (power meter, etc.) tells you that you are burning x calories/week, over the long term, you aren't going to lose x/3500 pounds week (where 1 lb. = 3500 calories, usually).
A lot of this is commonly ascribed to greater food intake - exercise makes you hungrier, or you give yourself license to eat more b/c you had a long ride, or you consume calories as fuel before and during your ride.
The interesting and relatively new dimension (last 10 years or so) is metabolic compensation. The idea is that if you tire yourself out with a ride, you do less during the day. E.g., from calories you burn Saturday morning, you must subtract the calories you aren't burning Saturday afternoon because you're sitting on the couch, rather than doing household chores. Or because of your pre-work workout, you are tired and therefore are fidgeting less in your chair at work. From my understanding, some metabolic compensation isn't even voluntary - i.e., it's an evolutionary mechanism to conserve energy that kicks in, regardless of your level of non-workout activity.
There have been some good articles on this.
Here's one in the NYT (behind a paywall). https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/22/w...-calories.html
Another, from Vox. https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/1684543...-burn-calories
For me, the take home message isn't that you can't lose weight from exercise. From my own experience, I know that I can. Rather, it is that exercise is a rather limited weight loss tool, with net results likely to be smaller than one might hope.
05-15-24, 07:23 AM
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Something weird is happening with me this year. I've just gotten back on the bike due to a month long respiratory illness. And, the weather here in northeast CT has sucked. So, I've started out with shorter rides (around 10 mi) and spinning easily instead of using power. My rides are all between 13-13.5 mph. Here's the strange part. Usually after a ride I have no appetite, But, now I'm hungry but really hungry for sweets. That's very different for me. I have no guess why.
05-16-24, 07:59 AM
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I just found out the body stores water in muscles after a workout to dilute lactic acid. Answered a question for me about why I always gain weight after a tough ride, even if I don't make up the caloric use from the ride.
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05-16-24, 09:33 AM
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Exercise can cause muscle to retain water, but not to dilute lactic acid. Lactate is a fuel molecule and is rapidly cleared from blood and muscle after exercise. The H+ ion associated with it associated with it is quickly buffered by HCO3- in blood, yielding water and CO2.
05-16-24, 09:46 AM
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Exercise can cause muscle to retain water, but not to dilute lactic acid. Lactate is a fuel molecule and is rapidly cleared from blood and muscle after exercise. The H+ ion associated with it associated with it is quickly buffered by HCO3- in blood, yielding water and CO2.
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05-16-24, 09:55 AM
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05-16-24, 09:56 AM
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05-16-24, 11:24 AM
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You may not be able to trust what your doctor says either. Best to get information from more than one source and make your best judgement. Too many people dismiss any internet info as ridiculous without ever researching enough, and too many blindly follow whatever a doctor prescribes. You don't need to jump on any advice from internet sources like it's all 100% accurate, but you can't do that with anything.
05-16-24, 11:30 AM
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You may not be able to trust what your doctor says either. Best to get information from more than one source and make your best judgement. Too many people dismiss any internet info as ridiculous without ever researching enough, and too many blindly follow whatever a doctor prescribes. You don't need to jump on any advice from internet sources like it's all 100% accurate, but you can't do that with anything.
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