Are there any benefits to short Z2 workouts?

[DaveWh]

To get the most value from short endurance rides (improving fat metabolism), I think its best to do them in a glycogen depleted state.

Generally, endurance rides of greater than 2 hours are preferred for training fat metabolism - link to a study on this in the following forum post:

Shorter endurance rides

One of the main benefits of doing longer, lower intensity, endurance rides is to promote fat metabolism. In this study, they found that for the first two hours of endurance exercise (at 57% VO2max), the primary fuel source used was carbs, whereas in the 2nd two hours, the primary fuel source used was fat. So to train your body to better use fat as a fuel, longer rides are helpful. [image]