Which is better: Lose Weight or Gain FTP?

NutritionCOMPARISON

LOSE WEIGHT VS GAIN FTP

QUICK VERDICT

If your body fat is above 15% (men) or 22% (women), weight loss is the faster path to better W/kg. If you're already lean, FTP gains are the only safe lever. Most riders benefit from doing both simultaneously using the fuel-for-the-work-required approach.

SIDE BY SIDE

FEATURE	LOSE WEIGHT	GAIN FTP
Speed of improvement	Fast (weeks)	Slow (months)
Sustainability	Risk of muscle loss	Permanent adaptation
Performance risk	Can lose power if done wrong	No downside risk
Effort type	Nutrition discipline	Training discipline
Best when body fat >15%	Highest ROI	Also helps
Best when already lean	Dangerous (RED-S risk)	Only safe option

CHOOSE LOSE WEIGHT IF

✓Riders with body fat above 15%
✓Riders who haven't changed nutrition habits
✓Post-winter body composition reset
✓Riders using fuel-for-the-work-required framework

CHOOSE GAIN FTP IF

✓Lean riders (under 12% body fat)
✓Riders with strong nutrition already
✓Early-season base building
✓Riders adding structured training for the first time

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