Does being overweight mean you're slow on a bike?

[Profpointy]

Let's consider the science a bit more carefully here.

If you have two guys with the same cardiovascular capacity (VO2), one weighs 70kg and the other weighs 100kg. They have the same fat % ie the extra 30kg is muscle & fat in the same proportion

Now who goes faster on a flat course?

It's the 70kg guy. The number of watts they can maintain is dependent on their VO2, not on their muscle mass. The 70kg guy has a smaller frontal area so he encounters less wind resistance. It's this that allows him to go faster than the bigger guy.
Up hills this difference is much greater

The question then is does a 100kg guy have a higher VO2 than a 70kg guy if they train in the same way? Answer is yes. His cardio system is physically bigger than the smaller guy. But it isn't 100/70 bigger. It's less than that. So on flat courses the big guy may be able to compete; his extra watts counters his extra frontal area. But going up a hill he's on a hiding to nothing. His extra watts won't counter his extra mass, so the 70kg whippet wins every time

Although your conclusion is quite possibly right - your explanation above is very much begging the question: all you've actually said is small people have better power to weight, because small people have better power to weight.

Power is essentially the same as V02 isn't it, so you've really said x=x

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

I'm a little lost!

If I weigh 100kg and bench press 100kg 10 times and my friend, who weighs 50kg, can only bench press 50kg 9 times, does that mean my VO2 is better than his?

Where's the direct correlation between VO2 and the power to push a bigger gear, for example, rather than bench press a heavy weight?

 

[screenman]

Is carrying excess fat around the waist good for you?

 

[redcard]

Is carrying excess fat around the waist good for you?

Moving the goalposts?

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

Moving the goalposts?

So you'd fit between them.

 

[screenman]

Moving the goalposts?

No, if we got right back to the OP that was my point.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I'm a little lost!

If I weigh 100kg and bench press 100kg 10 times and my friend, who weighs 50kg, can only bench press 50kg 9 times, does that mean my VO2 is better than his?

Where's the direct correlation between VO2 and the power to push a bigger gear, for example, rather than bench press a heavy weight?

No it makes you stronger. VO2 has nothing to do with strength

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

No it makes you stronger. VO2 has nothing to do with strength

That's what I thought!

 

[Rob3rt]

I'm a little lost!

If I weigh 100kg and bench press 100kg 10 times and my friend, who weighs 50kg, can only bench press 50kg 9 times, does that mean my VO2 is better than his?

Where's the direct correlation between VO2 and the power to push a bigger gear, for example, rather than bench press a heavy weight?

Power =/= strength.

People who can push big gears can't necessarily lift heavy weights.

Someone with a high VO2 max will be able to push a bigger gear for longer (i.e. put out more power) than someone with a lower VO2 max, all else equal.

 

[Rob3rt]

Although your conclusion is quite possibly right - your explanation above is very much begging the question: all you've actually said is small people have better power to weight, because small people have better power to weight.

Power is essentially the same as V02 isn't it, so you've really said x=x

No.

 

[Rob3rt]

To answer the OP, being overweight doesn't mean you will be slow, but it will almost certainly mean you are not as fast as you could be, were you not over weight, for various reasons!

 

[Profpointy]

No.

Ok, enlighten me - surely o2 burned must be directly proportional to food burned = power.
I guess there's a heat / work ratio, which determines useful power as a proportion of total power

 

[Rob3rt]

When people refer to VO2, in cycling them mean VO2 Max, i.e your maximal aerobic capacity. Or more usefully, power produced at VO2 max.

 

[Profpointy]

When people refer to VO2, in cycling them mean VO2 Max, i.e your maximal aerobic capacity.

OK, I get that, and what I assumed - so why isn't that same as (ie directly proportional to, so power in different units effectively) -have I missed something obvious?

 

[Rob3rt]

OK, I get that, and what I assumed - so why isn't that same as (ie directly proportional to, so power in different units effectively) -have I missed something obvious?

2 people with the same absolute VO2 max will not necessarily be able to output the same power when operating at VO2 max.