Fat Loss

Matt Hart looks at some of the dieting options that you’ll be faced with if you’re want to shed a few kilos…

This isn’t an article about hunting for something you’ve lost, like the car key or passport loss—‘tis much more clever than that. It’s about deliberately losing body fat (the heavy wobbly stuff that will keep you alive a minute longer than the skinny good-looking fella treading water next to you, should the cruise liner you’re holidaying on strike an iceberg). I know this sounds like a radical concept, but the secret to successful fat loss is all about deliberately losing the blobby stuff whilst simultaneously having absolutely no intention of ever finding it again! Think of it like shaking off the flu or taking that really embarrassing jumper that your nana knitted to the charity shop and you won’t go far wrong…

It’s called ‘fat-loss’ as apposed to ‘weight-loss’ because many unsuccessful weight-loss plans result in loss of lean body tissue as well as fat. Losing lean body mass, which is essentially muscle, drives your metabolic rate down and reduces your capacity for physical work. A successful fat-loss program centres on the reduction of body fat levels with minimal disruption to your metabolic rate and energy levels. This all sounds quite fancy doesn’t it, but do you know what twenty years in the fitness industry has essentially told me about the secret to fat loss (not to mention that really hard Sports Science degree I had to endure where I was unwillingly force-fed all those cheap pints of beer in the student union)? Get ready for it. Eat less and exercise more! Yes, it’s flippin’ rocket science I tell ye…

Before we get into the science bit, perhaps we should consider why excess body fat is such a bad thing. I’ve already mentioned the only genuine advantage of carrying extra lard, so if you like going on cruises and are concerned about the ship sinking, could I suggest that you still follow the useful advice in this article and when it comes to booking the holiday, opt for the Caribbean where the sea’s a bit warmer (and avoid boarding any ships with names beginning with ‘T’ and ending in ‘itanic’).

So, if you’re not going to explore the polar ice caps or go on an imminent hunger strike, just think about what you’ll achieve by being a bit leaner. For a start, you’ll be able to ride up hills quicker. At Torq we regularly carry out fitness tests and one bit of data we present to folk is their power to weight ratio, which is expressed in ‘watts per kilogram’ of body weight. We test a rider’s maximum sustainable power in watts and then divide it by their bodyweight in kilograms and this gives us a figure. The higher this figure is, the more effective and ‘faster’ they are as a rider. The key point here is that it’s far easier to improve this ratio by losing weight, as opposed to gaining power. Lose weight and gain power and you’ll see a huge difference.

I hear it said all the time in the cycling world about a rider being a ‘good climber’. This conjures some rather disturbing images in my brain. I see a Golum-like mountain goat creature with really overdeveloped hind legs and scrawny long fingers that’s kind of like Darwin’s answer to what a ‘really good climber’ should look like. The reality is actually down to how much power a rider can produce and their body weight. Muscle produces power and fat does not, so the chances are that if you’re lean and you do a lot of cycling, you’ll be a good climber compared to your lardier buddies.

With less body fat you’ll also be able to stop, change direction and accelerate faster—all significant points for a mountain biker. Lighter riders can get away with lower tyre pressures without pinch flats, and that means better traction for cornering and climbing up slippery stuff. Furthermore, you’ll go through fewer brake pads and bust less stuff. All in all you’ll feel better on the bike and ride better too. Hopefully this provides enough motivation to fight the flab!

Energy Balance