Question of the week: Should I use a fan indoors?
By bethany
If your goal is to improve your cycling performance through indoor cycling then cooler is better. Simply put, dissipating heat through the use of fans and a cool room will allow a higher output during tough sessions, which then with consistency and recovery will then allow you to improve your output over time.
However, if your goal is to shed water weight and sweat so much that the mop comes out post-class, then you should forego the fans and cooling and come outfitted in sweats and an impermeable plastic suit. We think most of our regulars have the former goal. Perhaps it’s a lingering vestige of the fitness industry that causes many to believe that more is better when it comes to sweating. Let’s examine the issue further.
Every time you get on the bike some of your energy is lost to heat waste. Your body works harder to cool itself. That’s energy you cannot use to put out more power. When we talk about efficiency in cycling, we’re referring to the amount of effort you’re putting out that actually translates into pushing the pedals. Estimates of average efficiency vary, but let’s assume that you’re at 20%. This means that for every …read more
