Over the years, different trends have confused people about fats. While fats are rich in energy and an important component of any healthy diet, not all fats are the same. It’s important to distinguish between the different fats to make sure you’re consuming healthy fats. Fats can be categorized as follows:
Monounsaturated Fats: Heart-healthy fats found in foods such as olive oil, nuts and avocados. These fats may also help with weight loss.
Polyunsaturated Fats: “Friendly” fats that can be found in fish, nuts and seeds. These fats can improve blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risks of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Saturated Fats: Mainly from animal products. These unhealthy fats can raise total cholesterol and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Foods high in saturated fats include cheese, meat, butter, cream and whole milk.
Trans Fats: Occur naturally in some animal products, but they’re most often produced during a process used to make unsaturated fats that are easier to use when preparing food. Trans fats are “bad” fats that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and raise unhealthy LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. Avoid foods that have been cooked in partially hydrogenated oils, such as French fries and donuts, which are loaded with trans fats.
Athletes and Healthy Fats
Athletes often focus on the levels of protein and carbohydrates in their diet. They lose sight of the importance of healthy fats. The body requires two types of fatty acids to function properly: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Moderate to intense training requires both carbohydrates and fat for fuel. Hormones and other molecules produced from fat are important for maintaining the balance of the biochemical reactions that drive physical activity for the athlete.
Fats are the body’s energy source. While carbohydrates account for fuel in short-duration or low-intensity exercise, fats generate the majority of energy during longer or more intense workouts. Fats should never fall below 15 percent of your daily caloric intake. For endurance athletes, up to 75 percent of energy requirements is generated from fat in the body.
Hormones play a significant role in athletic performance. They are chemicals that control the balance of biochemical reactions in the body, driving growth, development, recovery and overall health. Many hormones are produced from molecules derived from essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Steroid hormones that control how your body responds to high energy demands and maintain mineral balance, and sex hormones that drive muscle growth, are derived from fat. A lack of fat in your diet will prevent these hormones from being in balance, impairing athletic performance and recovery.
The Omega-6 and Omega-3 Balance
Many of us were raised to believe that vegetable oils (where most omega-6 fats come from), are supposed to be healthy. However, upon closer examination, “heart-healthy” oils, such as soybean, safflower, sunflower and corn have high omega-6 and low omega-3 fat profiles—as much as 200:1!
Furthermore, even people that make every effort to avoid processed foods, fast foods, or are even a vegetarian, can still have a staggering level of omega-6 fat intake. Did you know that many foods found in health food stores are coated with a layer of cheap vegetable oil that enhances taste and texture? Healthy foods, such as nuts, are often coated with this vegetable oil.
If neglected, the imbalance between these two omega fats can promote chronic inflammation, which can lead to inflammatory diseases.
In fact, studies indicate that a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids disrupts the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory agents in the body, which promotes chronic inflammation. Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids utilize the same enzymes and transport systems to produce biochemicals in the body. When there is an excess of omega-6 fats, increased inflammatory compounds are created. When this happens, there are not enough enzymes available for omega-3 fats to create chemicals that are anti-inflammatory. Moreover, high levels of omega-6 fatty acids can actually replace and reduce omega-3 fats and their benefits. Simply put, omega-6 and omega-3 fats compete with one another in the body. The presence of one greatly impacts the other. That said, omega-6 fatty acids do play a role in good health. The key takeaway is that when there is an imbalance, the excess omega-6s will diminish the omega-3 benefits. Retailers have to understand this and educate their customers.
Healthy Fats Fight Inflammation and Free Radicals
Free radicals are highly reactive compounds that can damage the cells of the body and create and contribute to chronic inflammation—something an athlete must avoid for optimal performance. Healthy fats help to neutralize these free radicals to reduce inflammation.
The importance of cellular renewal and minimizing the damage done to cells over time cannot be understated. This is the key to minimizing inflammation which is essential for a quality life and a long and vital existence. We all struggle with inflammation—some of us age more than others. Why? Studies have linked oxidative stress to chronic inflammation. Simply stated, oxidation occurs when the body produces by-products more commonly known as free radicals. The result is something akin to a machine rusting. And when this rusting is applied to humans (and not iron), it results in inflammation, aging and disease.
Our bodies normally make free radicals as part of our daily metabolism. And they occur as a result of food and environmental pollutions from everyday things like air, water and sun. As we age, we become more susceptible to the long-term effects of oxidative stress (or too many free radicals) and inflammation on the cellular level.
The process of oxidation is abundant and can actually help the body work properly. But this very same process can also cause harm. The oxidizing process creates free radicals, which are electrically charged molecules. These free radicals interact with cells to create both good and bad results. For example, the immune system uses free radicals to help fight infection. However, when oxidized, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) can be produced.
Oxidative stress is when the free radicals overwhelm the body’s defense system causing cell damage and inflammation. As previously mentioned, free radicals have useful functions in the body, but are extremely unstable molecules. If left uncontrolled, they will destroy cells, enzymes and DNA, and ultimately cause inflammation. Moreover, free radicals can also contribute to the development of many chronic inflammatory diseases including arthritis, heart disease and even cancer.
Inflammation is caused by free radical damage. And the negative effects of free radicals are due to oxidation. How can this be addressed in a nutritional regimen? Foods rich in healthy fats play a major role in combatting oxidative stress and can minimize the damage free radicals cause in the body. Functional food consumption continues to escalate. Retailers have noticed and continue to stock many of these types of products.
Omega-3 and omega-6 supplements, including fish oil, krill oil, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), among others, are widely available in a wide range of retail channels, including health food stores. That said, it’s important to understand that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are easily oxidized when exposed to heat and light. Therefore, if you’re buying an omega supplement, choose one that is cold pressed. This means the oil has been extracted with limited heat, minimizing the oxidization that can damage the fatty acid molecules. To ensure you are taking a supplement that isn’t oxidized, choose one that contains an antioxidant such as vitamin E.
While healthy fats provide significant health benefits to a wide range of athletes, we should all be consuming foods and/or supplements rich in healthy fats for considerable health benefits. VR
Mark Becker is a senior account manager for Vivion, a raw materials distributor, based in Vernon, CA. He has worked as a natural products sales and marketing executive for 30 years. Becker has written more than 300 articles and has hosted or been a guest on more than 500 radio shows. He obtained a bachelor’s in journalism from Long Beach State University and did his Master’s work in communications at Cal State Fullerton. For more than 35 years he has participated in numerous endurance events, including more than 150 triathlons of Olympic distance or longer, 103 marathons and numerous other events including ultramarathons and rough water swims from Alcatraz to the mainland. He has relied on a comprehensive dietary supplement regimen to support his athletic, professional and personal endeavors. Follow Becker on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marklbecker/posts/387591877933686#!/energyatlast. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/becker_mark. For more information, access www.vivioninc.com, www.alliedbionutrition.com or www.energyatLast.com.
