FTP and fat burning test at bw cycling in Bristol today.
FTP 280-300W.
Peak fat burning 66%.
Both are PRs. Well pleased with the results of the sweet spot base training plan. Particularly the fat burning number is better than I'd feared.
I assume that peak cat burning was measured via respiratory exchange ratio, but 66% of what?
What were your numbers before the base training plan?
I did FTP tests at home using TrainerRoad which were low-mid 250s FTP after PBP. Tested again, mid-plan early February, 259W FTP. The intensity and volume stepped up after that, and recently the work-outs based on that FTP have seemed pretty easy. I wasn't making so much progress until I switched from "Traditional Base" to "Sweet-Spot Base".
As for the fat-burning, it's % of total calories burned. In absolute terms, it tends to follow a hyperbolic curve, with the peak typically around 50% VO2max. YMMV. This seemed to bear out for me today.
I've done this test 3 times last year; Feb 220W, peak fat 25%. April 240W, peak fat 55%. August, 260W, peak fat 35% (disappointing fat burning just before PBP).
What is interesting is that the indoor training programme is getting better results both on FTP and fat-burning than doing lots of long steady distance (feb-april last year I did 6 weekends in a row of Audax events ranging from 200-400km). Another factor, probably, is consistency of training. After PBP I started training on the following Sunday having finished the ride on Wednesday evening. Though there have been missed workouts, and the odd week with little to no training, I've been pretty dedicated over the winter, to the extent that I trained on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
In the past, the tests done in TrainerRoad and done at BW Cycling have been fairly consistent, so I'll put 280W into TR as my FTP value and see how the work-outs pan out. If 280 is in line, then despite being heavier than in August, this is also a PB for FTP/kg (since I've been testing anyway).