If you look at some of the world's top cyclists, especially those who excel at climbing, you'll notice that they are extremely thin. Many have a body fat percentage in the single digits and carefully scrutinize every calorie they consume -- and with good reason. Even a modest weight gain can result in a disadvantage when the road tips up. Amateur cyclists looking to increase their performance should start by stepping on the scale.
Power-to-Weight Ratio
One of today's big cycling buzzwords is power. Most professionals train with power meters, and more and more amateurs are taking advantage of this technology. A power meter helps determine the ratio of power, as measured in watts, to weight, which is measured in kilograms -- in other words, how much power you are able to produce at a certain weight. A lighter rider will have to produce less power than a heavier rider to ascend the same climb.
How Weight Affects Performance
Numerous studies have been conducted to study the relationship between rider weight and performance. James C. Martin, an assistant professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Utah, based his calculations on a 5 km climb up a 7 percent grade. His numbers were based on a rider who could climb at 250 watts. He found that a rider weighing 160 lbs. will ascend the hill in 19 minutes and 21 seconds. He also discovered that for every 5 lbs. added to the rider's weight, it would take him an additional 30 seconds to complete the climb. While this may not seem like a huge difference, consider that bike races and stages are often won by fractions of a second.
Other Variables
Climbing and performing a time trial are when a cyclist's power-to-weight ratio comes into play the most. But weight isn't the only variable that determines how fast a rider will climb. The rate at which a cyclist ascends a hill is affected by total weight, meaning the weight of the rider plus the weight of the bike, as well the influences of gravity and the vertical and horizontal vectors of the climb. Therefore, a rider who is lighter and generates less watts will climb faster than a heavier rider who generates more watts.
Improve Your Power-to-Weight Ratio
Improving your power-to-weight ratio isn't as simple as dropping weight. If you shed lean muscle instead of fat, you'll also reduce the amount of power you can produce. For cyclists who don't need to lose much weight, many coaches prefer to work on building an athlete's power, rather than focusing on weight loss. This can be achieved through off-season weight work, intervals and targeted workouts such as hill repeats. Any high resistance intervals will help strengthen and build muscle. This should be done in conjunction with monitoring an athlete's diet.
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