How Tour de France cyclists 'eat their own muscles' from exhaustion
Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Cyclists in the Tour de France enter a state where their bodies consume muscle mass for energy due to extreme exertion.
- This occurs because the body depletes carbohydrate and fat reserves and turns to amino acids, the building blocks of muscle.
- The Tour is described as a competition of recovery ability rather than pure strength, as riders struggle to maintain energy levels and recover between stages.
The Tour de France pushes cyclists to an extreme state where their bodies begin to break down, consuming their own muscle mass for energy. This phenomenon, known as a catabolic state, occurs as riders endure 160 to 220 kilometers of cycling daily for three weeks, burning between 7,000 and 10,000 kilocalories per day.
The body enters a catabolic state. This means it stops building up and starts breaking down to produce energy.
Even with optimal nutrition and support, cyclists face a chronic energy deficit. Initially, the body uses carbohydrates and fats for fuel, but these stores are quickly depleted. The body then turns to a third source: amino acids, the fundamental components of muscle tissue. "The body enters a catabolic state," explains exercise physiologist Ruben Robberechts of UHasselt. "This means it stops building up and starts breaking down to produce energy."
Almost half of the measured metabolites changed during the Tour, and many values dropped week after week.
Robberechts tracked riders from the Soudal Quick-Step team during the 2023 Tour, conducting regular blood analyses. He observed a significant decrease in energy metabolites in the blood of Tour riders, unlike in typical athletes where these levels rise during exertion. "Almost half of the measured metabolites changed during the Tour, and many values dropped week after week," he noted. This suggests the body enters a 'conservation mode,' slowing metabolism to limit further damage, which impairs recovery between stages.
In the first 10 days, we see the biggest drop in amino acids and fatty acids in the blood.
The most severe impact on the body occurs early in the race. "In the first 10 days, we see the biggest drop in amino acids and fatty acids in the blood," Robberechts stated. While the body adapts somewhat afterward, it operates at a reduced capacity, making full recovery between stages impossible. Therefore, Robberechts argues, the Tour winner is not necessarily the strongest rider but the one who best manages this catabolic state and recovers most effectively day by day. The race becomes a test of endurance and recovery rather than sheer power.
The difference lies in who can best cope with that catabolic state and recovers fastest from day to day.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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