td.tony

I'm 19 years old, 5'6 and 165-170lbs. Im trying to lose some weight, so obviously im going to be biking a lot and reducing my meal portions throughout the day, leaving me with a caloric deficit leading me to lose weight. But, the real goal of my weight loss is to be able to bike longer, harder, and faster. I also want to be a better climber. To do that, I not only need to lose weight, but I also need to gain strength in my legs.

SO, my question is, does a caloric deficit hinder your ability to repair and recover from bike rides leading to less improvement in strength and endurance than if you were to eat more calories?


If so, I'm wondering if cyclists train similarly to weight lifters, i.e. bulk in the winter for strength, then cut in the early spring to lose weight.

I know that a cyclist's leg muscles is only one small part, and that performance mainly comes from your cardiovascular health, correct? thats why I would assume that one does not need to intake more calories to repair their leg muscles since the size and strength of the leg muscles themselves aren't a huge factor in being a better cyclist. Thats my guess so far..