NutritionAnswer

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY BODY COMPOSITION FOR CYCLING?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The rider whose scale weight is stuck but body has changed

You have been training and eating well, the scale barely moves, and you cannot tell whether you are gaining muscle, losing fat, or spinning your wheels.

The climber chasing a better power-to-weight ratio

You want to get leaner for the hills but are wary of the flat, powerless feeling that came with previous attempts to drop weight.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

Body composition is the question behind most weight questions riders actually ask. They say they want to lose weight, but what they want is to climb better — and that is power-to-weight, not bodyweight. Anthony has hammered this on the podcast: a kilo of fat lost improves your ratio, a kilo of muscle lost wrecks it. Same number on the scale, opposite outcome on the road.

Alex Larson laid out the framework clearly when she came on the show — the riders who get lean and stay lean share two non-negotiables: they never under-fuel the hard work, and they eat high protein every single day. The body composition changes come from the deficit being small and the protein being high, not from heroic restriction. Crash diets strip muscle alongside fat, and the muscle is the bit you spent years building.

The fixable mistake here is letting the bathroom scale run the show. It swings two kilos overnight on glycogen and water and tells you nothing about whether the change is fat or muscle. Track a weekly average, watch your waistband, and watch your power numbers on the same climbs. If watts hold while the waist shrinks, the composition is moving the right way — regardless of what the scale says on any given morning.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Alex LarsonSports dietitian specialising in body composition for cyclists
Lasting body composition change comes from a moderate deficit paired with high protein and consistent strength work — not aggressive restriction. Cyclists who keep power while leaning out protect protein at every meal and never under-fuel their hard sessions. The ones who lose power restrict everything uniformly and watch muscle disappear with the fat.
Hear it: How Cyclists Can Get Lean & Stay Lean Forever | Alex Larson
Dr Tim PodlogarNutrition consultant to Tudor Pro Cycling
Pros manage body composition by periodising energy around training rather than cutting calories flat across the week. Fat loss is pursued in dedicated phases with full carbohydrate availability on key sessions, so the muscle and the adaptation that drive power are preserved while body fat comes down gradually.
Hear it: How Pro Cyclists Stay Lean | Roadman Cycling Podcast

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Set a small deficit and a protein floor
Reduce daily intake by 200–300 kcal below maintenance, taken from easy days and off-bike meals. Set a protein floor of 1.8–2.2g/kg — for a 75kg rider, 135–165g per day, spread across four meals of 30–40g. Protein is what tells the body to keep muscle while the deficit works on fat.
Keep lifting twice a week through the cut
Strength training is the strongest signal to retain muscle in a deficit. Two sessions a week of compound lifts — squats, deadlifts, hinges — preserves the muscle that produces power. Drop strength work during a cut and you lose muscle faster than fat.
Track the right things, weekly
Weigh on the same morning each week and use the four-week trend, not daily readings. Add a waist measurement and note your power on a repeated climb or interval. Fat loss with power held is the win; if power drops, the deficit is too big or protein too low.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEJudging progress by daily scale weight.
FIXDaily swings of 1–2kg are water and glycogen, not fat. Use a weekly average over four weeks alongside waist and power, which actually reflect composition.
MISTAKECutting calories hard to speed up fat loss.
FIXA deficit above 500 kcal pulls muscle and power down with the fat. Keep it at 200–300 kcal and accept 0.3–0.5kg per week — slower, but the loss is fat.
MISTAKEDropping strength training while trying to get lean.
FIXLifting is the muscle-retention insurance during a cut. Keep two compound sessions a week so the deficit takes fat, not the muscle that makes your watts.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What body fat percentage should a cyclist aim for?

Competitive amateur men typically sit around 8–15% and women 16–24%, but there is no single target that suits everyone. Chasing an extreme low figure usually costs power, hormonal health, and immunity. Aim for the leanest point you can hold while fully fuelling training and keeping power stable — that is your useful body composition, not a number off a chart.

Can I build muscle and lose fat at the same time as a cyclist?

Yes, in specific conditions — newer riders, those returning from a break, or anyone carrying excess fat can recomposition for a period. Well-trained athletes near race weight find it much harder to do both at once. For most, the practical route is a fuelled build phase followed by a moderate fat-loss phase, rather than chasing both simultaneously.

Does losing fat always make me faster on climbs?

Only if power holds. Power-to-weight improves when fat comes off and watts stay the same. If you lose weight by under-fuelling and shed muscle, your power drops too and the ratio may not improve at all. That is why protein and full session fuelling matter as much as the deficit.

How long does it take to change body composition?

At a safe rate of 0.3–0.5kg of fat per week, a 3–4kg fat loss takes roughly 8–12 weeks. Meaningful composition change is a season-long process, not a four-week fix. Trying to rush it compresses the deficit and starts costing muscle and training quality.

Should masters cyclists approach body composition differently?

Yes. Over 40, muscle is harder to keep and easier to lose, so the protein and strength-training pieces become even more important. Push protein toward 2.0–2.4g/kg and treat strength sessions as non-negotiable. The deficit should be gentler too — older riders recover more slowly from aggressive restriction.

Do I need to count calories to change my body composition?

Not permanently. Tracking for two to four weeks is useful to learn your portions and confirm you are hitting protein and not under-fuelling. After that, many riders manage on consistent meal structure, a protein anchor at each meal, and the rule of fuelling hard sessions fully. The tracking phase is educational, not a life sentence.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

How Cyclists Can Get Lean & Stay Lean Forever | Alex Larson

How Pro Cyclists Stay Lean | Roadman Cycling Podcast

World Tour Nutritionist - “We Got Weight Loss Wrong”