Exercise on empty stomach / carb deprived state

So, Team GB Cycling had a fantastic Olympics, winning lots of gold medals and, more satisfyingly, winding up the French in the process.

On BBC Radio Four one morning a member of the support team was asked what tip he would give the general public in order for them to improve their fitness. He answered by saying we should occasionally exercise on an empty stomach in order to improve the efficiency of our body's ability to convert fat to energy. He said the team GB cycle team each had one carb deprived training session per week.

I have seen this subject discussed here a lot. I notice he said they only did one session per week, not every session. He suggested the rest of us should occasionally try it, not every session.

For what it's worth. Do your own research. I thought it was interesting to hear what someone responsible for the fitness of such elite athletes had to say when asked for the one tip that would help us all.

Edited for one of the spelling mistakes.