FranckCisco

why is it that most riders out in the winter tend to be fat? One would expect only hardcore cyclists/racers to be out when the weather grows harsh and unfriendly. I have gained about 8 lbs since summer due to heavy partying but I am also in fit conditions, so I ride in the winter as well. I have NEVER lost weight in the winter. So is my weight gain an adaptation to allow me the ability to ride when it's cold out? How should one explain this observation? Is it that gaining weight increases fat tissue and dermal layer in a person, allowing his body to effectively retain heat better? Your thoughts?

Hobartlemagne 

I read somewhere recently that some winter weight gain as due to not drinking enough water.
When it gets cold, we don't feel too thirsty so we don't drink like we do in the summer.
Hydration will be part of my dietary routine this winter. I've been dropping the fat the past couple
months and want to continue.

ridethecliche

I'm not sure how that makes any biological sense. Does not drinking enough water cause your body to 'store' mass amounts of water. I don't understand how that would work. I might be totally missing something though.

It's always good to stay well hydrated though.

urodacus

you exercise less, and underestimate how much the difference in calorie intake is, so you eat way too much for your energy needs.

not drinking less make no sense at all.

patentcad

>>Getting fat over winter--biological adaptation?<<

More Twinkies. Less miles. Even for Pcad.

That is all.

daytonian

drinking more water speeds the metabolism

kensuf

You exercise less and eat more[1]. Seems like pretty simple math to me.


Ken
[1] - Cold, short and dreary days undoubtably lead to less time out doors. Thanksgiving, leftovers, and the various Christmas/New Years parties and celebrations throughout December contribute to eating more. Plus the best Belgian Winter Ales start showing up around November.

botto 

Why wait?

https://www.cafegollem.nl/bierkeuken/default_EN.asp

wanders

I must be really cold natured - I stay fat year round.

DigitalRJH

Yes, it is a biological adaptation. Our metabolism slows in the winter and rises in the summer. It's an evolutionary thing, causing hormonal changes which affect the metabolism, as the body tries to increase adipose tissue in the colder temps for the duration of winter as an ancient survival tool. This is just a general rule, for some people it doesn't happen, for some it happens more than others.

Hobartlemagne 

https://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html

Basically, your liver does a lot of fat-loss work, but it also helps the kidneys
if they aren't working at their peak due to dehydration. When that happens
the liver cant do it's fat burning diddley doo because its busy helping the kidneys.

michaelmc

Keep in mind that until ~100,000 years ago, humans had been evolving nicely in the winter-free confines of East Africa, so if this is an evolutionary adaptation, it's a relatively very recent one. The way to test it would be to see if, for those in which the metabolism does change, ancestry is confined to colder regions. There's also the chance that it's a response to environment, rather than a hard-wired genetic trait per se.

patentcad

botto RULES.

michaelmc

Move to Philly:

Monk's
Eulogy
Zot
The Belgian Café
Abbaye

And for carryout: The Foodery

twobikes

I have lost weight during winter months. It called for a lot of attention to what I ate and pushing myself to get out for exercise. But, more often I find myself fighting the urge to eat extra sugary foods within easy reach between Halloween and Christmas, perhaps even Easter. I need to find someone I can give that stuff to without those who so kindly gifted my family with it ever knowing about my re-gifting.

DigitalRJH

Good point, so whether it is genetic, or environmental, it is a widely accepted theory that it does occur to some extent.

botto 

Silly Archeologists and their logic.

DigitalRJH

Can you dig it?

michaelmc

No idea whether it's accepted or not, I was just thinking about the conditions that would cause it to occur if it is a real effect.

I dig it.

earleybird

thats a very interesting observation and one I don't remember seeing written anywhere else. Just about every animal on the planet puts on weight for the winter . Why should we suppose that we have lost our primeaval response to do the same thing ? I'm sure we used to do it sub-conciously when we were stoneage man. The temperature dropped sharply here in the UK last week and for 3 days I didn't stop eating all day and night! god knows how much weight I've put on.

ri_us

This is pretty hard to swallow when we spend so much time in heated spaces and wear warm clothes constantly. Every mammal reduces, or ceases, their hybernation cycle when they are exposed to warmer climates, zoos, or the like.

Duke of Kent

Circadiam rhythms, zeitgeibers, and general chronobiology are all pretty well known ecological/biological phenomena.

Basically, as daylight lessens in intensity and the overall amount, receptors in our eyes and skin trigger the pineal gland and hypothalamus in the brain (and another similar part in birds), which in turn triggers the release of hormones. Melatonin being a main player, it basically alters the body's internal clock, and makes you want to sleep more during the winter months, as well as lowering your metabolic rate. These factors are also what are responsible for the molting, migration and reproduction cycles with birds.


Check out the wikipedia page for "circadian rhythms" for more information; I had to glance at it to get the hormone right but it seems pretty accurate from what I learned in my ornithology and animal behavior/ethology classes.

patentcad

Good grief, shut the F up, eat fewer Twinkies, ride your bikes all winter and freeze your ass off all winter like Pcad. I trust that is sufficiently motivational, inspiration is my middle name.

AlanS

There's conjecture that swimmers have trouble losing weight for the same reason--being surrounded by cold water encourages the body to produce a layer of fat. I personally find that cycling is far better than swimming in keeping the weight off.

wfrogge

During the summer you work out hard and eat a lot... no weight gain


During the winter you work out less and eat the same as you did during the summer..... weight gain



Pretty simple