I think you’re on target with how you’re trying to test. If you glance at this paper you can see that the idea was to ingest the ester before and during exercise in the hopes that the fuel prevents the glycogen depletion and then preserves the glycogen for high intensity exercise thereafter. But it didn’t really work for us and super variable results. This was with 1,3-Butanediol and not Delta G which would in theory be better.
I think how most people are thinking these benefit however is taken over prolonged periods and for recovery. Cost prohibitive currently but signs that they enhance adaptation during heavy periods of training like you were under.