So I was working my fat ass out to thesufferfests hell hath no fury or something like that (i’m tired), and it had pro women for a nice change. What I noticed though was pleasantly surprising, they’re not anorexic looking like a lot of professional women do from other sports. In fact, pro men cyclists look much worse weight wise than the women. I just thought that interesting since weight does carry some considerable “weight” in the physics of riding. I’m not disappointed in the least…wish I could see them from the front a bit more in the next video!!!
I’ve got a theory on this, someone tell me if it makes any sense:
Because of lower testosterone levels it requires more muscle mass for women to be able to fully utilize their aerobic capacity while cycling. So the physics works out to slightly heavier builds being optimal.
Of course the other possibility is they don’t take the sport as seriously and aren’t willing to turn into skeletons like the Schlecks are =)
So I was working my fat ass out to thesufferfests hell hath no fury or something like that (i’m tired), and it had pro women for a nice change. What I noticed though was pleasantly surprising, they’re not anorexic looking like a lot of professional women do from other sports. In fact, pro men cyclists look much worse weight wise than the women. I just thought that interesting since weight does carry some considerable “weight” in the physics of riding. I’m not disappointed in the least…wish I could see them from the front a bit more in the next video!!!
Pro women cyclists (or ex pros) can be quite…attractive.
Exhibit A:
need more exhibits 
.
Oh, to be a top tube.
i rode (for about 4 seconds) on the same club as emma pooley, and she’s absolutely tiny
-mike
.
Read this article a couple days ago:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=9869
Of course, there’s also the pro cycling photographers…:
I’ve got a theory on this, someone tell me if it makes any sense:
Because of lower testosterone levels it requires more muscle mass for women to be able to fully utilize their aerobic capacity while cycling. So the physics works out to slightly heavier builds being optimal.
Of course the other possibility is they don’t take the sport as seriously and aren’t willing to turn into skeletons like the Schlecks are =)
Its a theory, however I would relate it more to courses (altitude and distance) that women race vs. the men. The Schlecks are like mountain goats, they need that light weight, however they still can’t TT worth a damn–Go figure?
Many female trackies have great arses.
Because of lower testosterone levels it requires more muscle mass for women to be able to fully utilize their aerobic capacity while cycling. So the physics works out to slightly heavier builds being optimal.
I don’t think so. Aerobic capacity = vo2 max = RBC related. Would you try to increase your vo2 max by, say, lifting weights so you had more muscle?
Possibly, even a non-well trained male cyclist cannot maintain the same heart rates as they can when running, suggesting that they aren’t fully utilizing their aerobic capacity? or would something else explain that phenomenon?
to test this hypothesis you could see if the difference between vo2max running and vo2max cycling is greater for women than men?
Because of lower testosterone levels it requires more muscle mass for women to be able to fully utilize their aerobic capacity while cycling. So the physics works out to slightly heavier builds being optimal.
I don’t think so. Aerobic capacity = vo2 max = RBC related. Would you try to increase your vo2 max by, say, lifting weights so you had more muscle?
The more muscles a sport uses the higher VO2 max is recorded.
Cyclists pretty much just use their legs, runners typically score higher (for elites), and use legs and a bit of arms. XC skiers score higher than both and use both legs and arms to a big degree.
It depends on the sport. Weight matter a lot in running and gymnastics so those elite athletes are borderline anorexic. Most team sports weight doesn’t much matter at all, so looking at women softball player for example, they can be a bit bigger.
Most top women cyclists are pretty low body fat. Its not going to make you or break you, just like it doesn’t a male cyclist.
Skinny ones win a lot though. But I would agree, there is more thickness in the womens pro peloton compared to our anorexic beanpole males.
Oh, to be a top tube.
or a head tube.
Some of that is skewed by having Ina Teutenberg at the front of almost every race she is in. But she only weighs 62kg - from the front http://www.flickr.com/photos/swoo/3318219316/