Does cycling/leaness make you look older?

dennisn

neeb wrote:

In the FWIW column if you take a close look at the faces of world class endurance athletes you will notice that the majority of them probably look 10 or 15 years older than
their same age counterparts who live in the real world(so to speak). This is due to the amount of stress that they put their bodies through and lots of exposure to the elements.
To put it bluntly, you can't do those things to your body without it showing up as wrinkles
and the other signs of aging. Not that they are less healthy, as this is not the case. It's just that all that stress is going to show.

Yup, it depends on what you think "old" looks like, and "close" being the operative word. Personally I don't think wrinkles per se make someone seem old, whereas being feeble and unhealthy does. There's a difference between the age you would guess someone is by closely counting the wrinkles and the age they come across as. The latter is more important and is to do with vitality, complexion, the way they move, how alert they are... and exercise is definitely going to help these!

I agree with you on looks not being a true indicator of age. Or even of age not being a true indicator of age. I'm 60 but feel much younger. At least I think I do and that's
what's important. That even at the "advanced" age of 60 I still want to go snow skiing,
ride bikes, and be able to get around well.
I was only saying that IF you took a facial picture of a 30 year old pro cyclist and compared it to a 30 year old office worker, the office guy would likely LOOK younger.

Dennis Noward

johnnyc71

The comments about weight are all relative - My work colleagues told me that I was looking gaunt - :shock:

I mean - I still weigh 16 stone! But I had "slimmed" down from a 21.5 stone mass.

By the time I get to 15 stone - I'll be positively skeletal!

toontra

I have had similar comments from family. Apparently I look gaunt and am obsessed! No doubt if I used the time I spend training watching TV and put on 3 stone eating cr@p then they wouldn't have their guilt tweaked and would all be happy!

To be honest I don't give a damn. I am fitter now than when I was in my 20's and feel better. I train hard, eat healthy (most of the time) and have surprised myself by my recent cycling achievements. And above all, it's bloody great fun!

johnnyc71

toontra wrote:

I have had similar comments from family. Apparently I look gaunt and am obsessed! No doubt if I used the time I spend training watching TV and put on 3 stone eating cr@p then they wouldn't have their guilt tweaked and would all be happy!

To be honest I don't give a damn. I am fitter now than when I was in my 20's and feel better. I train hard, eat healthy (most of the time) and have surprised myself by my recent cycling achievements. And above all, it's bloody great fun!

Would you like the number for Domino's Pizza? - Soon get you looking healthy again.

dave milne

Despite looking positively rasmussen-esque I am lucky enough not to get these comments apart from my wife occasionally moaning at how bony I am. Certainly the face can look a lot older as your cheeks form wrinkles when you smile due to there not being enough fat to form a dimple

Chubby on a compact

In the last 2 years I've lost 3 stone. Down to just under 12 stone and I'm just over 5'7" so still got a bit to go. A few people in work have told me I'm too thin now. However they are mainly built like the weather girls. For those that don't remember them they are very big. Every time I go out with some friends of ours they are always trying to shovel all the wrong types of food into me, and guess what they are big as well. So basically don't worry about it, providing you are eating healthy.

mrushton

I've come back from a week in Majorca where the other guests were generally active in sports eg triathletes,runners,cyclists and it's staggering how fat people are when you move out of that environment. You get back to the Uk and think that all the pies have indeed been eaten.

liversedge

mrushton wrote:

I've come back from a week in Majorca where the other guests were generally active in sports eg triathletes,runners,cyclists and it's staggering how fat people are when you move out of that environment. You get back to the Uk and think that all the pies have indeed been eaten.

I had the reverse experience - it felt surreal being in a place with so many fit people. Made me feel guilty if I even glanced at the desserts !!!

But yeah, to look "normal" you need to be about a stone overweight.

The true pinarello prince

hi im 15 and am sponsored i trained hard this winter and lost to much weight 7st 10 at 5ft 8 i could not keep myself warm an looke ill. I evetually became ill and had to take 9 weeks of the bike loosing much fitness. i suggest you put on some weight and dont get to obsesive about how much you weigh and what you put in your mouth eat sensibly and healthy if u want cake have some!

nolf

Actually you all say that, but i find for 20-30 year olds it makes them look a lot younger.

I know a 25 year old woman and I thought she was 18 for aaaages. Kept asking her where she was heading off to uni and how her A levels were going (that explains the strange looks!).

Although i do know a triathlete who looks about 25 and I found out hes my age (20).

Maybe I'm just rubbish at guessing ages?

neeb

You get better at guessing ages as you age..

Basically, you don't really "age" at all until you're well into your 30s, so the things that young people look for when they are trying to guess age have more to do with maturity (i.e. not looking like a child or adolescent) than with aging. Visible aging itself (sagging, wrinkles) is a different thing entirely.

rolf_f

A suggestion! Get your friends (and yourself) over to realage.com http://www.realage.com/default.aspx and get them to fill the test in and see how you and they compare. You can't take it too seriously but it probably isn't a million miles off. Besides, it'll help you feel good, and them feel bad! I came out 10 years younger than my birth date suggests! Need to get myself younger though - the biking is certainly helping........

Kléber

It's not how you look, it's how you feel.

If it matters, cycling should keep you relatively youthful, swimming can tire your skin and running means that pounding the pavement makes the skin sag a bit.

BCBC

Age truely is just at state of mind. Sure, you may look older with weight loss, but so what? Much like I do with my gray hair (55 and going strong), consider every wrinkle one that you have earned through a life well lived and pride in the effort that got you here.

The only thing I would add is, if you have had a doctor's check up and are not putting strain on your body through the weight loss, then ignore the comments and smile quietly to yourself.

Hugh A

It all seems to do with the fat content of the face. I guess the effects of this vary from person to person, but I'm sure it's more what people are 'used to' seeing. I have found in the past that I tend to get the 'you look a bit thin' type remarks if the weight gets anywhere near 11 st. I am 6' tall and it just happens that my face starts to look thinner at that point. It's always been in the Summer when mileage goes up. Sadly this does not look likely to happen this year as it really improves my climbing!

I haven't noticed any ill effects apart from feeling the cold a bit more. Stick with it if you feel ok - I would be happy with 7 hours for the Dragon never mind 6!

neeb

I haven't noticed any ill effects apart from feeling the cold a bit more.

Yeah, you do notice if you have very little fat that if you are standing around in cold conditions you are less "insulated" than "normal" people and can start to feel cold more quickly. But as long as you are moving about you are generally less prone to cold than they are as your metabolism is faster and generating more heat. There is a certain temperature threshold though (maybe about -10C) when the fatties seem to have the advantage again as there is a point where your metabolism isn't enough to keep you warm even going full pelt. I've also noticed though that when I am fit and lean I can cope with extreme heat much better without feeling uncomfortable. In general a slim body type is an adaptation towards hot conditions and being bulky is better for the cold.

tommy_tommy

I think it is a fair assumption from the replies to my original post that taking your body fat to low levels will indeed have a negative impact on your appearance. This I can accept and live with as I was no oil painting to start with. However, lately I have been pondering whether the long endurance events that I put my body through year on year are actually benefiting my long term health.

As I type, I am just getting over my 3rd cold of this year and nursing a painful knee, despite being on a cycling only program of less than 7 hours per week. Odd as it now seems, I started cycling and running as a means of maintaining a bit of fitness, keeping healthy and to slim my 13 stones rugby bulk that took much food and effort to maintain. Unfortunately, my competitive instinct and compulsive drive took me from one extreme to the other. I have trained religiously for events from Ironman triathlons, long sportifs to marathons, consuming vast amounts of time over the last 15 years. Despite all of this dedication i will only ever be a mid pack athlete.

I have now resolved to take some time out after the dragon ride and reassess my reasons for doing this training. I think optimal health will proceed optimal fitness in future. But can I resist that urge to compete? Do others here honestly think long distance endurance training compromises or benefits health in the long term? Is it better to moderate exercise if your goals are health based? Do you get more illnesses than your sedentary friends? Am I looking for a reason/excuses to quit or are my concerns valid or is this a motivational issue, a momentary lapse?

neeb

I think it is a fair assumption from the replies to my original post that taking your body fat to low levels will indeed have a negative impact on your appearance.

I actually disagree with this, unless you are talking anorexic. I really do think that society is redefining "normal" as "fat", and that's really the main source of any perceptions of very low fat levels being unattractive. By any objective criteria, lean and fit is what we are supposed to look like as human animals, and this is attractive (or should be) in the sense of form following function.

Do others here honestly think long distance endurance training compromises or benefits health in the long term? Is it better to moderate exercise if your goals are health based?

I think where it starts to become more harmful than beneficial will be at fairly intense levels. So it depends what you mean by moderate. Although I did read something somewhere that suggested that "weekend warriors" were at more at risk of oxidative muscle damage than daily exercisers.

GyatsoLa

tommy_tommy wrote:

I have now resolved to take some time out after the dragon ride and reassess my reasons for doing this training. I think optimal health will proceed optimal fitness in future. But can I resist that urge to compete? Do others here honestly think long distance endurance training compromises or benefits health in the long term? Is it better to moderate exercise if your goals are health based? Do you get more illnesses than your sedentary friends? Am I looking for a reason/excuses to quit or are my concerns valid or is this a motivational issue, a momentary lapse?

I can't recall where I read it, but I believe some metastudies have indicated that in terms of overall health (measured by way of recovering from illness and lifespan), that people who are just 'fit' are healthier than the 'superfit'. I don't think there is a clearcut reason why this may be (or if there is incontravertible evidence that its the case), but I think its implied in some studies that very hard training does inhibit the immune system. I think other studies have indicated that body bulk (fat or muscle) is an aid to recovering from serious illness - hence people with a little more than average weight are better off than ultra lean endurance athletes as they grow older and face illness.

So while its obviously good to stay strong and fit as you grow older, I think you are right that its possible to overdo it, if long term health and well being are your aims.

neeb

It would be great to get some more precise information about this; there seems to be very little that is easily available. It all depends on how much is "overdoing it" of course, and how you measure that, i.e. what is "fit" and what is "superfit". I'd also want to know more details about body bulk and recovering from serious illness, it could be easy to get completely the wrong impression from that sort of data depending on what the study actually concerned. E.g. a very high proportion of serious illness occurs in people who are already very elderly or ill to begin with and so are unlikely to be doing any form of strenuous exercise in any case. What it means to be very thin in these circumstances is very different from what it means to be thin as a fit and (relatively) younger person.

vorsprung

tommy_tommy wrote:

I have now resolved to take some time out after the dragon ride and reassess my reasons for doing this training. I think optimal health will proceed optimal fitness in future. But can I resist that urge to compete?

That's pretty sensible

I am 43 and when I loose weight it comes off my face before my stomach.
So if I get down to summer cycling weight then I start to look a bit gaunt
When I set up the HRM it is programmed by "age" to get the heart rate max. It gives me the correct max heart rate if I tell it I am 32 years young. You might look a bit thin in the face and have a dodgy knee but on the plus side you will have excellent CV fitness

You blame your competitive nature on doing too much riding. Maybe you could switch emphasis and do touring instead.

neeb

Since we seem to have a bunch of us on here who are all about the same age (42-43), just wondering to what extent, if any, you have noticed deterioration in your performance (speed, endurance) since your late 30s? 40 seems to be the threshold after which most pros can not longer compete at the top level. I can't say I've noticed any massive differences but I do find there is a limit to the number of times per week I can have a really strenuous ride, i.e. it seems I hit a wall where I can feel that I am not doing myself any good and I need a couple of days doing nothing to completely recover, whereas maybe when I was younger I would only have needed one day. Maybe the secret is just to tune into what your body is saying as you get older, make sure you allow enough recovery time and accept that as a result of that you are not going to be able to reach quite the same level as you might have done when younger.

GyatsoLa

Neeb, I have heard it said that just over the 40 mark is the point where the body loses its ability to repair damage in the way it did before - I'm not sure if this is one of those 'words of wisdom' you hear all the time, or something with a proper scientific backing.

Personally speaking, I've never felt better and fitter (I'm 42), but that is probably primarily because its only in the last couple of years I've really focused on staying fit and healthy, rather than randomly taking up whatever activity/diet seemed fun. I do a more balanced mix now of cycling, a bit of running, walking and pilates, I've cut 90% of the rubbish out of my diet, and I see a physio regularly to make sure every little ache is dealt with before it becomes an issue (I've learned the hard way that prevention is better than cure with joint and muscle issues). The extra core strength and suppleness I get from pilates makes a huge difference for me in what I can do on the bike or in other activities.

the only issues with being over 40 I've had is that I find it far harder now to rid myself of bellyfat (I have a fairly good body mass, it just all seems to hang on my gut) and I take maybe 2 days to recover from a tough day when previously it was 1 (but it has to be very tough to have that impact).

tommy_tommy

Neeb,

I have been endurance training for 15 years and I have been performing better since I turned 40. I set a 10K running PB at 41, knocking 2 minutes of my previous best set when I was about 30. Last year, On the bike, I got within 9 seconds of my 10Mtt PB that I set when I was 29, riding the same bike with the same clip on bars. This year I feel stronger still on the bike but have not yet rode a 10 to find out if I am actually fitter. I will start riding 10's from this week and I am sure given the right conditions I will beat this PB time this year. To what do I do contribute this improvement despite getting older. Experience and knowledge. These are key things I found over the years that have improved my performance, although, I have to say not necessarily my health. I have implemented these changes over the last 2 years. Previously my training was based around long slow runs and rides day in day out and vast intakes of carbohydrate.

1. Base the majority of training just below your lactate threshold (tempo) to build a base not <75% MHR.
2. Ditching long slow rides 3 - 6 hours in favor of good tempo rides of around 2 hours max have given me better results
3. In the build up to key events train really hard. Hour of power. 2 x 20 Etc.
4. Rest days are do nothing days rather than ride to and from work easy to log hours.
5. Unlimited amounts of carbohydrate is just not necessary. Cutting back on the pasta, cereals, energy drinks, cereal bars, jacket potatoes that I constantly eat have meant a 12lb weight loss despite cutting training hours from around +15 to less than 7 hours per week. My body fat percentage and climbing have improved significantly.
6. Eat main carbohydrate meals immediately after training the rest of time focus on protein and good fats. I no longer eat 2 bowls of cereal before bed.
8. Shaving a few lbs of your bike with carbon bits will make no noticeable difference. Changing cables, chain, etc before key events to ensure reliability is a better use of my hard earn cash. Not being able to make use of fitness due to a mechanical failure is very frustrating.
9 For key events Taper down training but don't stop riding altogether for the last few days.
10. Make your own energy drinks. H5 PSP etc is mainly frutose and maltodextrin. Buy these ingredients in bulk from www.myprotein.co.uk and mix them to make energy drinks for a fraction of the price of a commercial product. You can also buy whey protein to make your own recovery drinks as well. Look at the ingredients on the commercial product to get the mixing ratios.

sampras38

vorsprung wrote:

tommy_tommy wrote:

I have now resolved to take some time out after the dragon ride and reassess my reasons for doing this training. I think optimal health will proceed optimal fitness in future. But can I resist that urge to compete?

That's pretty sensible

I am 43 and when I loose weight it comes off my face before my stomach.
So if I get down to summer cycling weight then I start to look a bit gaunt
When I set up the HRM it is programmed by "age" to get the heart rate max. It gives me the correct max heart rate if I tell it I am 32 years young. You might look a bit thin in the face and have a dodgy knee but on the plus side you will have excellent CV fitness

You blame your competitive nature on doing too much riding. Maybe you could switch emphasis and do touring instead.

But you could have two 32 yr olds with completely different maximum heart rates?

Road Red

Interesting thread. Complete novice cyclist here, having turned 50 last year I dived in, bought a bike and entered the Etape. Have trained diligently and am in reasonable shape at this stage.(I hope)

The weight issue caught my eye. I'm 6'2", I started out at 16st and have dropped to 14st, probably looks like I have lost more because of muscle build up. But the wife and others are giving out to me for looking too thin. One friend I hadnt seen for a good while asked me have I been ill. I have to say I like the shape I'm in now, havent been this weight since I was about 15 I reckon!
I played rugby pretty seriously but since then the only competition I have has been on the golf course. I was interested to see that I actually started to get a buzz out of the training and more recently I am studying my times in sportives closely and comparing them to my peer group. Because of my size I will never be a quick climber but the engine is good. At this stage I am really looking forward to the Etape, my main aim is to finish but I also have a time in mind I would like to achieve.

Really interesting thing will be where will I go on July 21st? Having had a six day a week regime since Sep. I am really looking forward to not having to do that...but will I stick with the bike? Watch this space.

I'll be on the Dragonride too. I'll be the one with the L plates and the stabilisers.

neeb

GyatsoLa, tommy_tommy,

Interesting to hear your experiences. Although i've been pretty fit most of my life it's only in the last couple of years or so I've started to train and measure things, so I don't have an objective reference point to guage if I my potential has changed at all since I've passed 40. I'm going harder and it feels harder! Still, because my times are only just now getting very close to what they were at the height of last summer there's that nagging thought that there will come a point (an age) where it won't be physically possible to get the same or better results from the same effort - when will that be, 44, 46, 50, 65? How long can you fight off age related degeneration and continue to improve, or at least not get worse? And what's the best way to maximise that, will continuous intense effort keep you going on the crest of a wave or are you in danger of wearing yourself out sooner?