Research links belly fat to poor health outcomes. Can cycling help you sidestep those issues?
Spot reduction refers to the claim that fat in a certain area of the body can be targeted for reduction through exercise of specific muscles in that desired area. For example, exercising the abdominal muscles in an effort to lose weight in or around one’s midsection.[1][2] Fitness coaches and medical professionals as well as physiologists consider the claim to be disproved.[3][4]
but cycle, nonetheless, for it is good.
There are plenty of reasons to make cycling a regular workout, considering research indicates it can make you feel more satisfied with your life, improve brain function like short-term memory and focus, and possibly even help you live longer.
One more benefit of riding to add to that list? It could have an effect on belly fat—and that’s not just an aesthetic goal, it’s a significant health booster.
Here’s why reducing belly fat matters, along with what research says about cycling’s effects on body composition. What are the dangers of belly fat?
Although carrying excess weight, in general, could put you at higher risk for certain health issues—for example, having obesity is associated with higher likelihood of some cancers—belly fat appears to be particularly problematic.
Abdominal adiposity (the scientific term for belly fat) is defined as a waist circumference of more than 35 inches in women and more than 40 inches in men. And this type of fat has been linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and diabetes.
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A 2020 finding in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology noted that not only did belly fat boost the chances of having a first heart attack, it also significantly elevates risk for a second one. According to the American Heart Association, this risk of heart attack exists even if your weight is considered to be in the normal range.
Another study, in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, noted that fat in this part of the body can also play a role in kidney disorders and liver diseases.
In terms of why fat in the belly spikes your health risks more than in other parts of the body, that’s because abdominal size is indicative of visceral fat—the kind that wraps around your organs, and can have negative effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance, explains Stacy Brethauer, M.D., a surgeon specializing in bariatric surgery at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
But even the stuff just below the surface—called subcutaneous abdominal fat—has been shown to increase levels of low-grade inflammation that can negatively affect the immune system, he tells Bicycling.
“Using abdominal obesity as a gauge for your health can be helpful,” Brethauer says. “It’s also a good goal to utilize exercise and nutrition in a way that can lower abdominal fat, and also just fat overall.” How can cycling reduce belly fat?
With an understanding that belly fat can raise health risks, the next question is: What can reduce belly fat in particular?
Despite thousands of magazine cover lines that promise “proven” ways to whittle your middle, spot reduction has never been—and most likely will never be—a realistic possibility, according to Ryan Glatt, C.P.T., personal trainer and brain health coach for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
“Although targeted fat reduction would be nice, that’s simply not how the body works,” he tells Bicycling. “Often, it can seem as if you’re lowering fat in a specific area more than others, but that might be because it’s a more noticeable place, like the belly or hips. What’s really happening is that you’re lowering fat throughout the body, and you may be building muscle at the same time.”
An activity like cycling, which combines strength and endurance, can prompt metabolic changes by increasing (or maintaining) muscle mass while burning calories. That means not only can you address your midsection with regular rides, but you can also improve your overall body composition, too. In fact, research backs up the idea that cycling can help reduce body fat, particularly in those who are overweight or obese.
But there are also some key strategies that can help boost those benefits. How can you increase the fat-burning effect of cycling?
- Implement Interval Training
Do interval training once or twice a week—no need for more (see below), and stick to one day if you race or go hard on weekends. Numerous studies have found that high-intensity training significantly reduces total abdominal fat, including dangerous visceral (belly) fat more effectively than lower-intensity exercise.
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There are endless ways to do interval training. One simple example: First, warm up for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, pick up your effort so you’re working hard (aim for a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10—you should be breathing hard, but not gasping) for 30 to 60 seconds. Go easy for one minute. Repeat for a total of 5 times, and then cool down for two to three minutes. 2. Focus on Endurance
There’s a reason you don’t do interval trainin
