Energy requirements in cold and warm weather

[Mark]

Hi

Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
riding in the cold or vice-versa? I have back-of-a-***-packet and
likely incorrect theories for both: in cold weather, muscles need more
energy to stay warm; in warm weather, the body cannot dissipate heat
as efficiently and must work harder.

What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
the winter or summer?

Mark

 

[Peter Clinch]

Mark wrote:

> Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
> riding in the cold or vice-versa? I have back-of-a-***-packet and
> likely incorrect theories for both: in cold weather, muscles need more
> energy to stay warm

If you're doing enough to sweat then you don't need any extra!

; in warm weather, the body cannot dissipate heat
> as efficiently and must work harder.

Why? Dissipating heat doesn't cost you much in the way of energy.

> What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> the winter or summer?

I doubt it really matters much, and what is "bang for your training
buck", exactly? Are you training to maximise energy use, or be a faster
cyclist?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[naked_draughtsman]

On Feb 6, 4:11 pm, "Mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> the winter or summer?

I guess the air is slightly denser, so due to viscosity it might be a
little harder to propel yourself through it. On the other hand denser
air contains a dozen or so more oxygen molecules per litre of air you
breathe in which could make quite a difference <g>

peter

 

[Bronzie]

On Feb 6, 4:11 pm, "Mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
> riding in the cold or vice-versa?

No figures to back it up, but from personal experience I always feel
more tired and hungrier after a cold weather ride. When riding in
very cold conditions, I quite often feel like it takes ages for my
muscles to warm up and not feel so tight.

I guess that since you are likely to expend more energy on a cold ride
(since your body must use up more energy staying warm??) you are
likely to burn fat reserves faster. However, I emphasise the word
"guess". Whether this offers "better training" depends on what you
are trying to achieve.

 

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

Without a *** packet but with loads of experience, I reckon the
differences are trivial and probably do not reach a measuable size.

You will need more water cycling when it's warmer, but you knew that anyway.

If you chill 5 litres of by body water 5°C, you will need 25kcal to warm
them back to body temperature. This is more heat loss than you would
tolerate but represents little more than a teaspoonful of sugar...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email protected]
Edgware.

 

[Roger Merriman]

Mark <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi
>
> Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
> riding in the cold or vice-versa? I have back-of-a-***-packet and
> likely incorrect theories for both: in cold weather, muscles need more
> energy to stay warm; in warm weather, the body cannot dissipate heat
> as efficiently and must work harder.
>
> What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> the winter or summer?
>
> Mark

in terms of fat burning cold will do very cold weather will make you
burn fat, but it also is the time of year for hearty meals....

roger

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

 

[Marz]

On Feb 6, 12:11 pm, "Mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi
>
> Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
> riding in the cold or vice-versa? I have back-of-a-***-packet and
> likely incorrect theories for both: in cold weather, muscles need more
> energy to stay warm; in warm weather, the body cannot dissipate heat
> as efficiently and must work harder.
>
> What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> the winter or summer?
>
> Mark

I don't remember experiencing much of a difference between winter
riding and summer riding in the UK. From mild cold to mild warm isn't
a big change, very similiar distances achieved in very similiar times
thoughout the year. Moving to Texas and o'boy, winter can be around
freezing and summers near 40c, my performance just drops in that
summer heat. My ride times for 50 miles used to increase by 25% and I
would feel exhausted once I got home.

So if your 'buck' is time and calories burnt, then I'd say you'd get a
harder work out in hot (>28c) weather than cold. But if it's to ride
further and faster, cooler weather may suit you best. If you really
want the weather to help with training, ride out into a 40mph head
wind for about 2hours, great strength training, then turn around and
spin (>115rpm) home, great leg speed and V02 max training (just
kidding).

 

[Creature]

On 6 Feb 2007 08:11:34 -0800, Mark wrote:
> What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> the winter or summer?

No figures again, but I think I'm faster in summer. I expect this is just
because I tend to wear less and take less stuff with me, though (lower
weight).

--
Alex Pounds (Creature) .~. http://www.alexpounds.com/
/V\ http://www.ethicsgirls.com/
// \\
"Variables won't; Constants aren't" /( )\
^`~'^

 

[Mark]

On Feb 6, 4:32 pm, Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:
> Mark wrote:
> > Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
> > riding in the cold or vice-versa? I have back-of-a-***-packet and
> > likely incorrect theories for both: in cold weather, muscles need more
> > energy to stay warm
>
> If you're doing enough to sweat then you don't need any extra!
>
> ; in warm weather, the body cannot dissipate heat
>
> > as efficiently and must work harder.
>
> Why? Dissipating heat doesn't cost you much in the way of energy.

I was thinking more along the lines of the extra heat had some kind of
negative impact on performance and as as result you'd have to work
harder to offset that impact. But as I said, I was expecting my
theories to be incorrect what with basing them on light-hearted
musing.

> > What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> > the winter or summer?
>
> I doubt it really matters much, and what is "bang for your training
> buck", exactly? Are you training to maximise energy use, or be a faster
> cyclist?

To be faster, but I wasn't thinking that I'd get an edge by moving to
Mongolia or Africa. I'm not training particularly heavily or seriously
but my time in the first 10 of the year was much slower, as were the
times of the rest of the field. I wondered if cold weather was
partially to blame (the bigger part being a lack of form, obviously)
and that led to my OP.

By "training buck" I meant that for a workout at a given intensity
(say 155bpm for an hour) would I be training "harder" in cold or warm
weather. And I think I've just spotted the flaw in my logic :~)
Perhaps it would make more sense in terms of winter/summer energy
usage to ride 20 miles in an hour. That's what I get for idle
afternoon posting.

Mark

 

[Clive George]

"Mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I'm not training particularly heavily or seriously
> but my time in the first 10 of the year was much slower, as were the
> times of the rest of the field. I wondered if cold weather was
> partially to blame (the bigger part being a lack of form, obviously)
> and that led to my OP.

I reckon my muscles don't work nearly so well in cold weather. They seem
best in what passes for hot here in the dales.

cheers,
clive

 

[Dave Larrington]

In news:[email protected],
Clive George <[email protected]> tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell
us:

> I reckon my muscles don't work nearly so well in cold weather. They
> seem best in what passes for hot here in the dales.

<AOL>. In the summer I've made it into work with a true average speed of
30 km/h. The past couple of days it's been a struggle to reach 23 (though
the frozen front derailleur cable probably didn't help).

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
The best way to confuse a Daily Mail reader is to tell it that
paedophiles form the staple diet of asylum seekers.

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, Mark
[email protected] says...
> Hi
>
> Does riding in warm weather require more energy to do the same work as
> riding in the cold or vice-versa? I have back-of-a-***-packet and
> likely incorrect theories for both: in cold weather, muscles need more
> energy to stay warm; in warm weather, the body cannot dissipate heat
> as efficiently and must work harder.
>
> What's the real answer? Am I getting more bang for my training buck in
> the winter or summer?
>
There's virtually no difference in the work done - you're still moving
the same mass over the same course at the same speed with similar
resistance. Differences are:
breathing can be harder when the air is very cold or dry
cold-weather clothing can be heavier and less aerodynamic
depending on your clothing you may be more likely to overheat in
hot or cold weather (likewise you may warm up to optimal
operating temperature faster or slower)
depending on your drinking pattern you may be more likely to
dehydrate in hot or cold weather
the air is marginally more dense when it's cold (except it may be
less dense because humidity may be lower)
Basically if you're a competitive rider and you'll be competing in cold
conditions then you're better training in the cold, likewise
hot/dry/damp, but apart from that I think it's pretty indeterminate.

 

[squeaker]

On 6 Feb, 22:36, "Mark" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Perhaps it would make more sense in terms of winter/summer energy
> usage to ride 20 miles in an hour. That's what I get for idle
> afternoon posting.
>
> Mark

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm reckons that, to maintain
the same speed on a racing bike that you get with 200W input at
25degC, you need to expend another 12W.
But, no account is taken of any air density change due to humidity,
nor changes to rolling resistance due to cold grease, tighter
bearings, cold tyres etc., etc..
Fund to play around with the options tho.