How many calories does road cycling burn?

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by echappist

still uncalled for. IIRC, aren't you coming back from a rather horrific crash?

Yeah, riding on the road is still kind of hairy. I have been doing more MUP riding when I can. I was kind of nervous yesterday because I couldn't get my Fly12CE to work correctly and almost didn't go.

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

At the risk of sounding snide (which is definitely not my intent) I think you're focusing on the wrong thing. Quantifying something that you theoretically do for enjoyment will not lead to sustainable health results. Cycling confers many benefits in addition to fat loss: cardiovascular health, muscular endurance, and more efficient metabolism. If you perceive cycling as a "numbers game" it takes away from the visceral joy of the sport - which is why many of us do it in the first place.

Go for a ride. Have fun. See some things. The results will follow ...

Thanks. I do try to keep that in mind. One of the reasons I try to get a decent estimate on it is that I am monitoring my calorie intake as I found that is what actually work for me as far as weight loss is concerned. So I want to add that to my tracking...

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

At the risk of sounding snide (which is definitely not my intent) I think you're focusing on the wrong thing. Quantifying something that you theoretically do for enjoyment will not lead to sustainable health results. Cycling confers many benefits in addition to fat loss: cardiovascular health, muscular endurance, and more efficient metabolism. If you perceive cycling as a "numbers game" it takes away from the visceral joy of the sport - which is why many of us do it in the first place.

Go for a ride. Have fun. See some things. The results will follow ...

The question comes up often, "Which form of exercise burns the most calories?" While there are a variety of academic answers, the practical answer is "the one you are likely to do most often and for the longest periods."

I suppose a person who is motivated but highly time limited might purposely choose an exercise which has the fastest calorie burn, but for many people staying motivated and diligent can be a challenge, so it might be better to choose an exercise that they actually want to do (and keep doing). After all, weight loss and health are not events, but are processes.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

Male, 48 years old. 193 lbs, 5 ft 8".

Distance: 19.6 miles
Speed/Effort: Moderate, 12-14 mph. (actual avg speed is 12.9 mph.)
Time: 1 hr 30 mins.

a data point, if it's worth anything... I'm about 40 lbs lighter and will often do a 1:45-ish ride, but it's 30 miles. similar elevation. with a power meter it generally says around 900 cals. so your estimate's probably not too far off, given the extra weight. but yes, I'd say it's a little high.

also 100% agree with what Marc McM says above. most important part is doing something you enjoy doing and will thus continue to do.

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

a data point, if it's worth anything... I'm about 40 lbs lighter and will often do a 1:45-ish ride, but it's 30 miles. similar elevation. with a power meter it generally says around 900 cals. so your estimate's probably not too far off, given the extra weight. but yes, I'd say it's a little high.

also 100% agree with what Marc McM says above. most important part is doing something you enjoy doing and will thus continue to do.

Thanks for the data point!

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by kppolich

This statement about 'faster' is incorrect.

12-14mph on a 10% climb requires more power, and therefore calories than 12-14mph on flats.

Powermeter will tell you exactly how many kJ of total work you put in.

I read yesterday that most cyclists operate at 25% efficiency; i.e. you put out 500w, your body is actually doing work equivalent to 2000w.

So unless I'm missing a trick - and more than happy to be corrected - work into the pedals isn't the same as calories burnt.

[jimoots]

Also for what it's worth my Garmin with power meter seems to go with 500 calories per hour when riding fast/hard in hilly and undulating terrain.

I take this with grain of salt, weight isn't falling off me and I certainly don't eat 2000 calories to 'balance the ledger' after a 4 hour ride.

[kppolich]

Originally Posted by jimmy-moots

I read yesterday that most cyclists operate at 25% efficiency; i.e. you put out 500w, your body is actually doing work equivalent to 2000w.

So unless I'm missing a trick - and more than happy to be corrected - work into the pedals isn't the same as calories burnt.

1 Calorie=4.186 kJs.

Full read here:
https://zwiftinsider.com/how-many-calories/

Strava Definition:
Total Work
Total Work, expressed in kilojoules (kJ), is simply the sum of the watts generated during your ride. There is a close 1–to–1 ratio with Total Work and Calories expended during a ride.

[Macadamia]

Originally Posted by jimmy-moots

I read yesterday that most cyclists operate at 25% efficiency; i.e. you put out 500w, your body is actually doing work equivalent to 2000w.

So unless I'm missing a trick - and more than happy to be corrected - work into the pedals isn't the same as calories burnt.

it would be added to your Basal Metabolic Rate is maybe what you're thinking of? Your body is burning calories through the various processes that keep you alive, in addition to cycling. Would be curious to see what it was you read

[echappist]

Originally Posted by kppolich

1 Calorie=4.186 kJs.

Full read here:
https://zwiftinsider.com/how-many-calories/

Strava Definition:
Total Work
Total Work, expressed in kilojoules (kJ), is simply the sum of the watts generated during your ride. There is a close 1–to–1 ratio with Total Work and Calories expended during a ride.

minor quibble, but given that the person to whom you responded has the foggiest sense of energy expenditure, best to write 1 kiloCalorie = 4.186 kiloJoule

For whatever reason, kiloCalorie in the U.S. got turned into simply as "Calorie" on food labels (as a side note, the food I bought in the Netherlands have listings under kJ and KCal, but not Cal)

-----------------------------------------------------------
As for the physics lesson, energy = power * time. kCal and kJ are both units of energy. Watt is a unit of power and is defined as 1 J/s.

Say someone averages 300 W for an hour, the work (defined as energy output by person/thing) is 300 J/s * 3600s = 1,080,000 J or 1,080 kJ

For someone who is 21% metabolically efficient, that amount of work done would require ~5150 kJ of energy burned. For someone who is 25% metabolically efficient, it would require 4320 kJ. Still a bit of scatter. It just so happens that 1 kJ = 0.239 kCal, and for simplicity, we have the approximation that 1 kJ of work done (as measured by a power meter) ~ 1 kCal of energy consumed. This approximation is still a lot better than what most other approximation provides, alas the prevalence in its usage.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by kppolich

1 Calorie=4.186 kJs.

Full read here:
https://zwiftinsider.com/how-many-calories/

Strava Definition:
Total Work
Total Work, expressed in kilojoules (kJ), is simply the sum of the watts generated during your ride. There is a close 1–to–1 ratio with Total Work and Calories expended during a ride.

Yeah sure, if we work on ~25% efficiency that makes sense, given that a 1kj is ~25% of a calorie.

I was just confused at work on the pedals being stated as the calorie burnt, which it is not.

Originally Posted by Macadamia

it would be added to your Basal Metabolic Rate is maybe what you're thinking of? Your body is burning calories through the various processes that keep you alive, in addition to cycling. Would be curious to see what it was you read

Dug it up, I was interested in the oxygen requirement for a given wattage stuff but it noted the efficiency of cyclists which stuck in my head.

https://sportsscientists.com/2010/07...t-is-possible/

[tuxbailey]

Closing the loop.

I did a 30 minutes ride last night and the calories calculated by Wahoo Kickr is similar to what Strava estimated for Monday's ride. And they are about 2/3 of what the online calculators estimated. The number of calories I burn is about 400/hr or 600/90 mins, so not 900s.

I am surprised that the Strava estimated average power (107) is very close to the Kickr's value (116.)

Monday's ride:




Last night:

[benb]

Time to get a PM. They’re very affordable these days.

I’m taller and lighter than you are, that estimate would be very high for me.

I do have PMs on my 2 road bikes.

I’m super out of shape right now. Winter and injuries unfortunately.

My last ride said 500 calories. 52 minutes @14.5 mph with 627ft of elevation gain. Heavy bike and draggy winter clothes. Avg power 160ish, normalized power 190ish.

I don’t know, I’d rather gain some mass these days, but maybe it’s just cause everyone else is huge.

I have definitely burned 1000 calories in 90 minutes but more like averaging 18-19mph solo with > 1000ft of elevation gain, average power 200 or so.

It’s not linear.

[uber]

Just a thought; wattage is very cadence dependent. Many find more efficient power output at a cadence of 90. Shifting to a slightly easier gear and maintaining a faster cadence might allow you to have a higher wattage. Maximal speed should be related to wattage as well.
If the goal is to control weight, nothing impacts my weight more than diet. Enjoy!

[Ti Designs]

Originally Posted by echappist

As for the physics lesson, energy = power * time. kCal and kJ are both units of energy. Watt is a unit of power and is defined as 1 J/s.

Say someone averages 300 W for an hour, the work (defined as energy output by person/thing) is 300 J/s * 3600s = 1,080,000 J or 1,080 kJ

For someone who is 21% metabolically efficient, that amount of work done would require ~5150 kJ of energy burned. For someone who is 25% metabolically efficient, it would require 4320 kJ.

I love finding equations that can be used for biomechanics. For example, if a rider learns to isolate large muscle groups they will find they have two FTP numbers - all glutes or all quads. Their FTP using both muscle groups will be 1/(1/Pg + 1/Pq) which just happens to be the equation for impedance of resistors in parallel.

Efficiency of the human body isn't that simple. First, it's a moving target, it changes with time. Second, people aren't on/off switches, the increase in metabolic rate doesn't stop when the pedals stop. If you must use accurate measuring devices to get a precise number, I suggest this exercise: Get yourself a digital caliper and go measure a block of jello at room temperature...


Here's what I tell the riders I coach:

Winter is about base mileage. Base mileage has a number of goals which can't be confused with the goals of later, more intense workouts. The primary goal of base mileage is to drain the battery and teach the body how to recover. This has to be done at low intensity (zone 3 - you should be able to talk while riding), it's slower than you think and longer than you can imagine. If you don't start taking a mental inventory of your refrigerator an hour before you get home, you're not spending enough time on the bike. here's the simple equation: you start out with 1500 - 2000 calories, you burn 600cal/hr, the best you can hope to process is 300cal/hr while riding. Given a target of 4 hours to drain the battery, the eating part becomes the most important factor (and the only one you can control).

I'll skip the part about base mileage being a learning stage in pedal stroke work 'cause nobody [else] spends that much time thinking about how they pedal, and get right to the real reason(s) for base mileage. At some point next season you're going to want to go on a really long ride, be it a century, a charity ride or you just get really lost. Learning how to eat on the bike, teaching your body to both turn the pedals and process food, is how you finish in style instead of that death march I see so often. If you're actively training for something you'll hear the term TSS or Training Stress Score, which is how intelligent athletes keep themselves from overtraining. Base mileage, the act of draining the battery and recovering, increases TSS capacity. So the long, low intensity work in the winter pushes the high intensity work later on - it doesn't work the other way around.

Should I bring up fixed gears now???