Road Cycling - Do riders burn more calories when its cold out ?

Just wondering , Ive been riding early when the temps or in the upper 40s and lower 50s , seems Like I need more food or energy bars . Is this a normal thing ?
peace
Jar

Yes. In order to maintain your core temp your body consumes more calories in cooler weather. With the increase in caloric intake you should also make a corresponding increase in hydration to help digest and utilize it.

Dave

In the winter.... feed your face and keep the pace...

Although it's not really bike-related, here's an interesting fact about cold temperatures: when scuba diving in 50ish degree water with a standard 7mm wetsuit, you can burn 500+ calories in an hour just staying warm.

This is the first good news I've heard about cold weather....and for a warm-weather guy I need the good news!

Although it's not really bike-related, here's an interesting fact about cold temperatures: when scuba diving in 50ish degree water with a standard 7mm wetsuit, you can burn 500+ calories in an hour just staying warm.


polar bear club... the new diet fad.

In addition to the extra work your body has to do to keep your core warm, colder air is denser than warmer air. So, assuming you're riding at the same speed, you burn more calories when it's cold because it takes more work to move through the denser air.

The difference, however, is pretty small. A typical 50-mile ride at 90 degrees F would require 2,028 calories. The same ride at 30 degrees F would require 2,177 calories (an increase of 7.3%).

That assumes a constant speed. You're maybe more likely to slow down to adjust to the higher load.
But then the Reynolds number goes up, decreasing the drag by a small amount, so it's not all that simple...
:D