Originally Posted by
chasm54
Being fit allows you to burn more calories in a given time by maintaining a higher power output. It makes absolutely no difference to how many calories it takes to shift a given weight at a given velocity.
Is this really true? Certainly the mechanical power required at the pedals will not change. But I would be surprised if conditioning doesn't change the efficiency of turning food calories into mechanical energy.
For example, wouldn't a given power output that's in the anaerobic zone for a novice then become an aerobic possibility after conditioning? Doesn't aerobic metabolism produce more mechanical energy out for the same food calories in?