I was curious about the line “…(His) secret is a combination of long-term training and a planned weight loss just prior to the race…a planned 7 per cent reduction of body mass and fat prior to the Tour de France, led Mr. Armstrong to 18 per cent increase in power per kilogram output, and an 8 per cent increase in muscle efficiency.”
I am just curious about the line weight loss JUST prior to the race, how close are we talking? I have read most places that you want to shed weight in early spring and no later, does this sound right?
“I have found throughout my “athletic career” that weight loss is a natural consequence of my taper. it just happens.”
Then you are an exception to the rule of reduced exercise + same calorie intake = weight gain
Unless you reduce your intake dramatically during your taper.
I’m down around 3 kg. in the last 3 weeks and am aiming to lose another 5-8 kg. in the next 11 weeks, OR reduce body fat from too high to publish to around 9%.
my body burns up eveyrthing i eat FAST when i am in taper mode. ie metabolic rate is sped up. doesnt seem to change based on what i eat. i usually eat same amount during taper.
cept i guess im not eating as many gels or replacement fluid since i am not training as much.
Does anyone have any idea how much elite/pro cyclists really train on a daily basis in 1) the off season, 2) in-season to maintain, and 3) when peaking for something like TdF or one of the other grand tours? The article said “up to eight hours a day” but I am curious as to what the typical breakdown is over the course of a week.
When Lance is overweight before TDF he is “superman”.
When Ullrich is overweight before TDF he is lazy and not serious about his sport.
What I think they do is to keep a healthy fat level most of the year, but reduces it to below the level for a short period in the peak season. Every gram counts uphill, but you can’t stay long-term healthy with fat levels below 6%.