Originally Posted by
hhnngg1
No, I wouldn't fund this because it's so obvious that one is weight bearing and one is not that all your 'myriad confounding variables' don't even matter.
The recovery cost of running so well known that every triathlon coach warns all their athletes, novice or pro, to be CAREFUL during the run. It's weight bearing, and it's hammering.
Pro marathoners race only ONE 2hrish marathon every 4 months (if not 6 months) because of the recovery cost. Compare to TdF riders who will ride 6hrs nearly every day for weeks.
Well, you’ve changed the goalpost. I understand what you are saying in your original post and even agree in some aspects but fact is, there are no studies to support your statement:
It's not because of the megamiles run - cyclists routinely put in more calories burned than runners of similar ability, but the impact per stride is so high in running that even leisurely runs cause a significant baseline metabolic acceleration.
I’d love to see a controlled study where caloric expenditure is accounted for on an untrained, recreational (?), and elite population to see the effects of training on basal metabolism. You over stepped with your statement above.