Steve Neal joins the Svein to answer a listener question from Chris O'Leary (New Zealand) on FatMax: what it actually means, why it matters, and how to improve it.

What You'll Learn

FatMax defined: The highest fat oxidation rate with the least carbohydrate contribution — not just peak fat burning. On a metabolic cart, fat oxidation can stay flat across multiple power steps while carbs double underneath it. The precise crossover point is what matters.

Fat-carb crossover point: Two athletes can share the same FatMax wattage but have crossover points 100+ watts apart. This — not FatMax alone — determines how long and comfortably you can ride.

Target numbers for masters cyclists: FatMax at 175–200W is solid; 225W is exceptional. A healthy FatMax-to-FTP ratio is 70–75%. The crossover point should sit above FatMax.

High FTP, low FatMax? Yes. From four recent tests, FatMax ranged from 53–82% of FTP among athletes with similar thresholds. FTP alone doesn't tell the metabolic efficiency story.

What moves the needle: Nutrition likely drives the majority of FatMax improvement — roughly 90% of bodyweight (lbs) in daily protein, 1:1–2:1 carb-to-protein ratio, fat to satiety. On the training side, riding consistently 5–10W below FatMax is the key lever. One athlete's crossover point shifted from 110W to 210W in four months.

Recovery data: After a 500K ultra, FatMax held steady post-race but the crossover point dropped sharply — and took 10–14 days of rest to fully recover. Most athletes restart too soon.

Guest

Steve Neal — Exercise physiologist, metabolic testing specialist, endurance coach.

Listener Question

"Everyone talks about FatMax but no one puts it into a useful context. How do we actually use it?" — Chris O'Leary, New Zealand

The Long Game Project — performance for the long haul.

This is the first guest episode of the Long Game Project, and it felt important to start with someone who really sets the tone for what this is all about.

Steve Neal is a coach with over 30 years of experience working with endurance athletes, from development level all the way through to high performance. He’s known for his deep understanding of physiology, testing, and how to actually apply that information in the real world. But more than that, he’s someone who has spent a long time figuring out what truly works—and what doesn’t.

In this conversation, we get into a few key ideas that come up again and again when it comes to training, especially as athletes get older.

We talk about what actually changes as we age—and what doesn’t. Why so many people end up training too hard, and how that can quietly hold them back. How to think about testing in a way that actually helps, rather than just collecting numbers. And what really moves the needle when you’re balancing training with work, family, and everything else that comes with life.

A big part of this conversation is around consistency—figuring out what you can repeat over time, rather than chasing short-term gains. We also get into the idea that you can’t train everything at once. There are trade-offs, and understanding what you’re actually trying to improve is key.

Steve shares a lot of practical insight from years of coaching, including how to avoid overtraining, why leaving something in the tank matters, and how to build fitness in a way that lasts.

This one isn’t about shortcuts or perfect answers. It’s about building a better understanding of the process, and finding a way to keep improving over the long term.

Topics Covered

What actually changes as we get older—and what doesn’t

Why most people train too hard (and how it backfires)

The “5% undertrained vs 1% overtrained” idea

How to use testing to understand your own physiology

FatMax, VO2, and why you can’t train everything at once

What really moves the needle for busy athletes

Consistency and repeatability in training

Strength, mobility, and staying in the sport long term

Connect with Steve

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenealperformance/⁠

Email: steve@stevenealperformance.com

Connect with Me

Email: tuftcamps@gmail.com

If you have questions or topics you’d like covered in future episodes, send them through—I’ll do my best to get to them.

If You Enjoyed This Episode

Follow the podcast on your platform of choice, leave a review if you can, and share it with someone who might get something out of it.

That’s the whole idea—build something useful and pass it along.

In this opening episode of The Long Game Project, Svein Tuft lays out the intention behind the podcast.

After nearly two decades racing at the highest level—including the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Grand Tours like the and —this episode focuses on what actually lasts: the process.

This is a conversation for anyone trying to stay consistent, capable, and engaged while balancing real life. It cuts through the noise, questions the idea that we should slow down with age, and focuses on what actually works—showing up, keeping a thread alive, and continuing to do hard things in a sustainable way.