Is fat adaption right for me?
Riding fasted is a fatburning technique
As we reach the end of the season cyclists start thinking about getting ‘fat adapted’. Let’s talk about utilising a ‘train low’ protocol.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING?
If you’re a new rider your body may not yet be efficient at cycling, which means sticking to zone 2 (60-70 per cent of your functional threshold power) will be hard. Carb-restricted rides require that the intensity stays at Z2 or lower. If the ride has intensity, the potential of you getting through three plus hours without food will diminish.
DO YOU WANT TO LOSE BODY FAT?
Whether you’re in a calorie deficit, not whether you do fasted rides, will determine whether you drop body fat. If you have two days that are identical in every way – food, activity, calories burned in the ride and type of session – and the only difference was one was a fasted session and the other was fed, it’s likely that you will not drop any more body fat due to the fasted ride.
SO WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Increased amounts of mitochondria (aerobic cell) created from these sessions enable you to hypothetically get more out of Z2 rides, there will be changes in insulin sensitivity, too.
HOW SHOULD YOU USE FASTED?
Do one or two rides a week carb restricted, and make them two to three hours-long to ensure you become glycogen depleted. This will carry over to your events as you want to be able to use more fat three hours down the line. Mix them into your sessions but don’t make them all depleted: fuel for hard rides, restrict for easier.