Originally Posted by
The_Cretin
Yet when you remove the 45 lbs of lead, he loses weight and climbs faster. Would the 130 lb guy climb faster if you added 45 lbs of muscle to him? If you're wondering at which point W/kg is hampered by losing power due to lost muscle mass, you only have to look at Rasmussen, Contador, and the Schlecks. At the highest levels of sport, every optimization and adaptation is necessary because if you don't do it, someone else will get it right and they'll be collecting your paycheck. If those climbing aces could climb faster with 10 more lbs of muscle, someone with 10 lbs more muscle would be occupying their spot at the TdF.
All those things are subsumed under "W" (and one under W/kg, perhaps).
I was saying that they are all part of physiology which I thought I pointed out is only a part of the overall equation. Your physiology is just the admission to the show. What you do with it is what counts.
Losing weight is not the only way to improve your power/weight. You also have to get stronger and train smart.