By Jessica Geller, News Correspondent

Controversy was generated among health nuts and cult cyclists last week when  celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson said that spinning classes could actually lead to the opposite effect of slimming down: bigger thighs.

The physical trainer and “metamorphosis” weight loss program coordinator known for working with celebrities like Gweneth Paltrow and Nicole Ritchie told Redbook magazine that “spin may burn calories in the short term, but if that’s all you’re doing, it’ll bulk your thighs.”

“I have women who come into my office after spinning exclusively for six months, wondering why they can’t fit into their jeans,” Anderson said.

Others said that the likely cause of the jeans not fitting is the diet.

Jenna Quilty, a Marino Center graduate assistant, has been cycling since 2007 and sad that her thighs have not changed.

“Does spinning correlate to weight gain? I say no, but I understand how that can happen to someone,” she said. “People start exercising and think that they are working a lot harder than they are. If you don’t get to a point where you feel breathless, it’s not going to be as effective as you think it’s going to be.”

According to Quilty, each cyclist must assess how much effort he or she is putting into the workout. A 130-pound woman cycling at a moderate pace for 60 minutes will burn about 600 calories, she said. That is just three-quarters of a Qdoba burrito, a Popeyes chicken po’ boy, or a slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. Just because people are working out does not mean the extra pounds will pedal right off.

According to Quilty, giving the body nutrient-dense foods before and after a workout is important. She eats a banana an hour before because the body uses up potassium when working hard. Quilty also said that cyclists should drink eight ounces of water prior, during and after their workouts.

Greg Cloutier, the project manager for the Human Performance and Exercise Science Laboratory at Northeastern, tries to get protein and other essential amino acids into his system within five minutes of completing his exercise to help enhance the effect of a workout.

“Right after exercise, our body is in a heightened state to take on those proteins,” he said. “Exercise combined with the proteins helps signal the body to create more muscle tissue and recover faster.”

Cloutier also said that his thighs have not gotten bigger, despite having higher testosterone levels than most women.

Laura Brunelli, a senior criminal justice major and cycling instructor at Marino, knows all too well how easy it is to indulge in the cheesecake. That’s why she started taking cycling classes, she said.

“I was a little hefty freshman year,” Brunelli said. “Sophomore year I started going to the gym and taking spin classes. I dropped a lot of weight. I took four [spin classes] a week and loved it.”

Enjoying exercise is the key to riding on the success bike. Quilty, Cloutier and Brunelli said that learning to like their workout increased their ability to make it a part of a weekly routine.

Freshman business major Vita Anes has noticed some change in her thighs, but said that being in better shape was a fair trade-off.

“My legs have bumped up, but not too much to consider it a negative,” she said.

Quilty said that the best way to maintain a healthy body composition is to integrate cycling with resistance training.

“If someone is strictly spinning and not including resistance training, you can start to burn muscle rather than just fat,” Quilty said. “Not only does [strength training] help build muscle but it also protects bones. Strengthening muscles tightens the area around the bones which then increases the strength of the bones.”

This increased strength can help prevent osteoporosis in women, Quilty said.

She also said she has been around the gym long enough to know the importance of “quality over quantity.”

“I tell every single person in my classes this: when they come into my class, this is it. This is your workout for today,” she said. “Work hard in a short amount of time so you can leave. If you think you’re capable of doing more, then you are not working hard enough in this moment.”