stangmx13
not Stan
So what's the science behind the power and speed cyclists get despite being super skinny? I know there is a power to weight ratio where they are the fastest / strongest, but how are they (and also marathon runners) able to maintain such endurance and power with such small muscles?
In short, elite cyclists can metabolize way more oxygen than mortals - nearly double. vO2 max is the measurement of oxygen consumed per kg per minute. A sedentary person during exercise can consume ~35 ml/kg/min. An avg fit person, maybe high 40s to low 50s. The best elite cyclists are high 80s to low 90s. This value implies some extra strength per kg. But the main result is that they can perform at that level for far longer.
Dont mix up strength and power. Those skinny elite cyclists arent that strong. They are likely nowhere close to weightlifting records per kg. And even their max instantaneous power probably isn't that impressive when compared to sprinters or track cyclists (the guys with more mass). Its their long duration numbers that are off the charts. The effort they can expend for 1hr, 1 day, 3 weeks is absolutely insane. Their 1hr power is higher than my 1min power. And its all because they can feed their muscles by metabolizing all that oxygen.
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