[ventlin]

Hello, I have some questions about “leaning out” and determining goals.
Background:
20 y/o male
Height: 6 ft, ~182 cm
Weight: 190 lbs, ~86 kg (mid-teens bf%)

Summary: I am a third year university student who has been rowing competitively for 3 years, where our weekly average training volume is probably 12+ hours, with a majority being zone 2 work. We use heart rate training and lactate threshold testing regularly. I have owned TFTNA since high school and still refer back to it today, as I am starting to think about endeavors beyond college (Goals like Rainier and others). I took an extended lay-off because of COVID stopping sports, but I am now starting to build back volume including more time trail running and hiking. I am looking to introduce a small calorie deficit to try to ‘lean out’ and become more weight efficient for such activities.

Questions:
-Is there any numerical recommendation for a safe caloric deficit during high volume training? and how much slower should I be increasing weekly volume?
-Is it better to set a goal based on current values or just start a deficit and see what happens? My weight has been stable around 185-190 lbs for 2 years, so it is unknown waters beyond 185 lbs.

If anyone has a similar background/experience, I am looking forward to your thoughts and advice.

Thank you,
Devin

Topic

[Rebecca Dent]

Rebecca Dent on February 10, 2021 at 3:33 am #50665

Hi Devin, thanks for your question. Great to hear you are managing to get back into some training after your sports being impacted by COVID. In answer to your questions;

– The numerical recommendation for a safe caloric deficit is -500calories from your maintenance daily calorie requirements. If you input your numbers into this online calculator it will give you those numbers – https://globalrph.com/medcalcs/harris-benedict-equation-updated-basal-metabolic-rate/

– When I work with uphill athletes supporting them with a nutrition plan/guidance, usually by adjusting nutrition to suit the demands of training will support a natural change in body composition without necessarily having to restrict intake.

– To help, keep a food diary via an online app or simply write it down and see if there are any extras creeping in that you can change easily to help create a natural reduction in intake without feeling like you are ‘dieting’.

– In terms of your training volume, much of the uphill athlete training is low intensity. As long as you are making sure you support your training sessions with good intake around them before/during/after especially around the higher intensity sessions e.g. strength, hill sprints, intervals. Then you can reduce intake away from those sessions so you are not compromising training adaptations, immunity and recovery.

Hope that answers your questions?

Rebecca Uphill Athlete Dietitian