[ View All Other Cycling Nutrition Topics ]
Go to Biking Calories (Part 1)
 |
 |
 |
Books about biking calories Online
When determining whether or not you can justify ordering dessert with dinner, you may ask yourself how many biking calories you shed when you went cycling that day. Since cycling is a very efficient way to travel from one place to another, your average commute on a bike is not going to burn a too high number of calories, unless you pedal in a high gear or up steep hills.
Factors Affecting Your Number of Biking Calories
Many different elements can affect the number of calories you burn each ride. These include, but are not limited to:
- The amount of time you cycle
- The speed at which you pedal
- Type of terrain you cover
- Altitude
- Your body weight
- Type of bicycle
- Type of tires and amount of air pressure
Did you know...?
Did you know that eating can actually help you lose weight when cycling?
Skipping meals is certainly not the way to shed excess weight, if you are biking for weight loss. When you cycle when hungry, your body turns to burning muscle instead of fat, due to a shortage of glycogen. If your goal is a toned and lean body, it is important to have a meal or snack that supplies your body with healthy carbohydrates before you start your ride.
Methods for Estimating Your Calorie Loss
If there are so many different factors that can change the rate at which you burn biking calories, how can you know how many biking calories you have lost? There are a couple of different methods you can use to track your progress.
Using Pre-Calculated Rates
Different generalized hourly rates have been determined based on the difficulty of the ride. These rates have been calculated, assuming that the cyclist weights 155 pounds (70 kilograms).
- Commuting by bike (easy riding in the city): 280 calories
- Light trail riding: 420 calories
- Moderate difficultly: 560 calories
- Challenging difficulty: 700 calories
- Competitive biking: 840 to 1,120 calories
Using a Biking Calories Calculator
If you would like to determine a more accurate approximation of the number of calories you have burning, you can use a computerized method. There are many calorie calculators available online specifically designed for cyclists. When choosing a calculator to use, it is best to find one that utilizes the greatest amount of information. While some may only ask you about the amount of time you cycled, others will use more data to determine your number of biking calories. You can typically achieve a better, more precise result by using a calculator that asks for your gender, weight, pace, length of your ride, and difficulty of the terrain.
| Difficulty: | ||
| Weight: | ||
| Time: | ||
Don’t Become Discouraged – Stick with Cycling
Even if the calculators do not give you the high numbers you were expecting, it is worthwhile to keep cycling for weight loss. There are many reasons why this is the best activity for burning calories, including:
- Protecting Your Joints – Biking riding is much easier on your joints than other calorie burning exercises, such as running. For more information about how running can lead to serious health complications, read more about running vs. cycling.
- Enjoying Your Workout – If your exercise routine is boring, you will be more likely to give up on it. Thanks to the spectacular scenery that can be enjoyed during your bike rides, working out doesn’t have to feel like work.
Did you know...?
Did you know that your body is less likely to convert biking calories consumed into fat if you consume those calories right after exercise?
After vigorous exercise, your body is craving energy to refuel your muscles. Thus, most of the calories you consume immediately after exercising will be used to repair your muscles instead of being stored as fat.
A Final Word On Tracking Your Calories
You can easily monitor your calorie-burning progress by keeping a record of simple data, such as the intensity of your rides, the amount of time your pedal, and your weight. However, remember cycling for weight loss is not just about losing calories, but also building muscles and improving your overall health. If you are still not impressed with the number of biking calories you are losing despite these benefits, try making healthy changes to your diet or biking in new and interesting areas.
Go to Biking Calories (Part 1)
Comments
Biking Calories (Part 2) — No Comments