In the world of cycling, one of the parameters to take into account when talking about performance is the watt/kilo, that is, the power that we are capable of generating divided by our weight. In order to improve this formula there are only two options, gain power or lose weight. When it comes to losing this weight, we generally focus on losing fat weight, since the loss of muscle mass can translate into a reduction in strength or a decrease in power.
There are many beliefs about weight loss formulas, such as training on an empty stomach, having an exaggerated caloric deficit, eliminating carbohydrates from our diet, or even going out to train without practically drinking any water. All these techniques have done a lot of damage to the amateur cyclist, since only short-term results are achieved in terms of weight, but without taking into account the performance part. If it is not done correctly, while the weight drops, the body’s defenses and power also drop, which can trigger a greater evil.
The FATMAX is a technique that is used to calculate the intensity at which your body oxidizes more fat, or in other words, the point where the muscles use fat as the main source of energy. This point is important for those looking to improve lipid utilization during exercise and maximize fat burning during physical activity. This technique is used to improve our body’s ability to oxidize fats, and thus become more efficient.
It should be noted that during the FATMAX moment, our body will not only use fat, it will also use muscle glycogen, since our body is not capable of limiting itself to using only an energy substrate. In fact, when we engage in high-intensity efforts, we not only consume carbohydrates, we also use fat oxidation to obtain this energy. The interesting thing about this FATMAX is that it places you in the exact zone where the oxidation of fatty acids is greatest and, therefore, where less glycogen is going to be consumed.
The optimal zone for the use of fats will be found between our 60-75% of maximum heart rate, that is, our Zone 2 training. Working in this area brings several benefits to our performance, such as improving aerobic capacity, improving fatty acid oxidation, improving efficiency over long distances, and even if accompanied by a slight deficit, we could talk about what would be a very good tool to lose that extra fat and gain margin per watt/kilo.
