This is a conversation I have wanted to have for a long time, and it is one that a lot of people in our sport do not want to hear. We have an obsession with weight in cycling. It runs deep. And for too many riders — especially those coming back to the bike after time away — the default approach is to slash calories and chase a number on the scales.
Key Takeaways
- The scales are a terrible measure of cycling fitness. I have seen riders lose five kilos and get slower because they lost muscle along with the fat. Watts per kilo is the number that tells you the truth, and if the watts are dropping faster than the kilos, you are going backwards.
- Your body needs muscle to produce power. Every pedal stroke is a muscular contraction. When you chronically underfuel, your body starts breaking down muscle tissue for energy. You feel lighter, but you are weaker. That is a bad trade.
- RED-S is not just a women's issue — it affects men too. I have spoken with sports scientists, coaches, and athletes who have lived through it. Hormonal disruption, stress fractures, constant illness, and a performance cliff that no amount of training can fix. It starts with underfuelling, and it compounds over time.
- The approach that actually works is matching your nutrition to your training. On hard days, eat more carbohydrates. On easy days, pull back slightly. The deficit builds gradually without you fighting your own biology. This is what the best teams in the WorldTour do, and it works for amateurs too.
- If you are coming back from a break, resist the urge to diet and train hard at the same time. Build your fitness first, fuel the work, and let body composition follow. Patience is the part nobody wants to hear, but it is the part that makes the difference.
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