Cycling: The extreme thinness of cyclists, really unhealthy?

The debate started as quickly as an attack on Tadej Pogacar on the Tour de France. Therefore, continues to shake up the planet Cycling, since the alert launched by Cédrine Kerbaol during the recent female tour.

In question? Meanwhile, The ultralight template of the Pauline Ferrand-Prévot winner. Therefore, A cry of alarm of the French runner. Consequently, graduated in dietetics, about the thinness race which continues to wave cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really the peloton. Therefore, A strong speech which notably brought half a vollering. Therefore, runner -up on the big loop, to express themselves on the subject. Moreover,

In a long post on Instagram. Meanwhile, the Dutchman wanted to do prevention by specifying in particular that her body was not built to be the leeter of the peloton. Nevertheless, “I will be able to win again thanks to my weight. Nevertheless, show the girls that it is not necessary to have the skin on the bones to win,” wrote the winner of the TDR 2023.

The problem also affects men. However, like the Tricolor Valentin Paret-Peintre, hero of Mont Ventoux on the Tour this summer: 51 kilos for 1.76 m. In addition, Which earned him to be nicknamed “the crumb”. Meanwhile, Ultrafins physics that were numerous still 10-15 years ago. Nevertheless, which notably recall the images of a “skeletal” Chris Froome on his bike. Meanwhile,

Final winner. judged for her drastic weight loss on the Tour de France 2025, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was justified after having shocked within her cycling family: “I know that it is not 100% healthy. But we have a good plan with the nutritionist of the team and everything is under control. ” Before adding, during the celebrations of his coronation, cited in “the team”: “Now, I eat what I want!”

Cycling: extreme thinness cyclists. really – Cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really

A weight debate to qualify

Three months of a very strict diet melted the French “PFP”, which lost 4 kg. This is substantial for cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really an athlete of around 50 kg and represents almost 10% of its body mass. “Ferrand-Prévot has established a new standard. If cyclists are successful like that, it puts everyone under pressure, judges Marlen Reusser. We secretly hoped that she would not succeed in succeeding in her goal. ”

Doctor by training, the Bernese is worried about the consequences for the body. And the image given to the next generation. “Isn’t that harmful if this deficiency is not permanent?” To what extent is it an optimization and when it becomes pathological? ”Asks the Movistar cyclist. who believes that many runners are too thin and that it is necessary to talk about it.

Elise Chabbey tends to qualify the debate on drifts. because a very sharp monitoring of nutritionists accompanies the women’s cycling teams that have become very professional. cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really “Each is responsible for their own body. I have the impression that this debate around the weight is less marked in men, decides the Geneva. Pauline (Ferrand-Prévot) was 10 kg more when she won Paris-Roubaix this spring, she knows her body. ”

“The theme must be discussed. it is important, but the weight problem Concerns both men and women and not only cycling, but also other endurance sports such as trail, underlines Sibylle Matter, member of the medical team of Swiss Olympic. However. it is important to approach the subject in a nuanced manner and not to reduce it to the body mass index, because other factors also play a role, such as the physical constitution, the type of training or the diet. ”

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot had “calculated”

“The corpulence. morphology of an cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really athlete on a given race says absolutely nothing about her state of health, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has absolutely done everything to gain the Tour, she lost weight while working on her power to improve the power ratio on weight, which allowed her to crush the competition in the mountains, analyzes Maaike Kruseman, dietician responsible for MK-Nutrition. It is a spectacular weight loss, certainly, but extremely calculated, even premeditated. ”

“PFP” had not already gone through the “dry” box to win her Olympic Mountain Bike title last summer? Or when the athlete reaches his weight peak (feather) as his peak of shape at a very specific moment. And according to an established schedule.

According to the specialist. the decline in energy intake compared to needs can be safe for short time shorts, like what is practiced in sports category for example. “Zero risk does not exist. but we can compare this to a mountaineer who goes up to 8000 m, a high danger area, during a short period of time, then descends without camping,”, image Maaike Kruseman.

The threat of Red-S syndrome

The fact remains that the difference in balance between a weight that has become a framed feather with a view to a race. a weight loss that could affect the health of the athlete, is fine. Specialists surveyed insist on the importance of medical follow-up. but also the risk that this becomes pathological cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really and dangerous if the athlete limits his energy contribution himself.

“There is a danger when an athlete is in calorie deficit for a long time. that this deficit is so important that it has health consequences, warns Joëlle Flück, nutritionist of Swiss Cycling. This can lead to the absence of menstruation. a decrease in bone density, hormonal imbalances, changes in metabolism and other physical deficits. Mental health is also strongly threatened and the risk of infection and injury increases. ” Symptoms that are linked to syndrome RED-Sor an “energy deficit relative in sport”. an evil that eats away at the professional peloton but not only.

If the debate around the weight of cyclists is far not closed (read. below)it must also be put into perspective of high level sport. “In itself. elite sport is not healthy, we cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really push our body within limits that are sometimes extreme,” concludes Elise Chabbey, cyclist and doctor, in the running on the Romandie Tour From Friday.

An appeal launched at the UCI

The union of professional runners. The Cyclists’ Alliance (TCA), published on Tuesday a communiqué To express his concerns in the face of “sports practices and cultures that endanger the health of runners”.

TCA first regretted “that women in sport are subject to disproportionate attention as. to their bodies in relation to their male counterparts”. He notably appealed to the International Cycling Union (UCI) to reconsider his proposal presented in 2024. which aims to submit runners and runners to a compulsory test of RED-S syndrome (relative energy deficit in sport) and “bone mineral density as part of their annual screening process”.

The union compared the measures taken by the International Climbing Federation in comparison. the first to modify its health policy to stem eating disorders, going so far as to prohibit athletes with Red-S.

A campaign of “education. awareness of the health and well-being of cyclists” will be launched this fall by The Cyclists’ Alliance. “It is our duty to continue to raise awareness. defend better standards that allow women to perform with a very nourished, strong and fulfilled body,” wrote Grace Brown, president of the organization.

For a few seasons already. Marlen Reusser has been fighting to impose weight regulation and has even sent a letter to the UCI in this regard, without return from the body. Asked about the problem of weight. the UCI replied that it “has been working on this cycling: extreme thinness cyclists, really theme for several months and continues its reflections with its medical experts” and that “official communication will be made in good time”.

For its part. in addition to having mandated a nutrition specialist, which organizes training and information and awareness workshops on all questions related to the weight of athletes, Swiss Cycling has set up regular medical examinations carried out by the doctors of the Federation.

But also concrete ways to act to break this taboo of cycling. “We have included a protective clause in the athletes contract which allows us to intervene in the event of pathological weight insufficiency (non-selection. medical follow-up, doctor’s authorization before any new participation in a delegation)”, specifies Swiss Cycling.

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