-
quick scan showed a chart with BMI on which I thought was widely regarded as irrelevant for athletes
For bulky athletes (rugby, weightlifting, etc) yes, it's going to be irrelevant.
As has been said many times before, BMI is the best thing you can come with that uses measurements that most people can do in their own home, and simple maths.
It's like the old HRmax = 220 - age. That's the best fit for the population (as a whole) using a single order polynomial. Of course it won't work perfectly for everyone but in the absence of any other data (such as seeing a higher figure on your HRM) it's the best starting point compared with nothing. The second you have a better figure (from observation) you can throw that old estimate away. Not doing so would be like testing your cycling FTP once and then sticking with that figure forever, regardless of training.
For body weight: BVI is far better, as is a body composition test, but the equipment needed to measure those isn't commonly found in the average home.
For runners and cyclists and triathletes I'd expect BMI to be a pretty reasonable measure. I know my current BMI of 29 is right in that it says I'm carrying far more that I need to. I know I need to get down to 76kg (just under BMI 25) to have any hope of not disintegrating during a marathon. I'd guess triathletes would be slightly higher than pure runners or cyclists, I know the swimming has bulked me up quite a bit and some of my t-shirt sleeves are getting a bit tight but maybe more running with strip some of that away again.
Looks like I'm on the slow and steady descent now, so it's 0.5kg/week from here on in unless I get lazy (speaking of which, I should be getting out on the bike now).
You are reading a single comment by @Sainsburys_Ed and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
Greenbank
@Sainsburys_Ed
apart from going back fro seconds last night just because it was there things seem to be going well, my second hand copy of racing weight arrived this morning which I'll have a read of on holiday, a quick scan showed a chart with BMI on which I thought was widely regarded as irrelevant for athletes, hopefully there is something a bit more useful than a fag packet calculation of what a "normal" weight is...