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Info on Fats

Their significance to an athlete

Saturated Fatty Acids - "The Bad Fats"

* There are good fats and there are bad fats and if we hope to build a premium body and maximize our physical potential, we need to understand the difference between the two.
* Fats can be classified as saturated or unsaturated.
* Saturated fats can be considered "bad fats" as their only biological role is as a source of calories.
* Because almost every athlete carries more fat energy reserves than they can use, they have no need to consume saturated fats and thus for optimum nutrition should make every effort to minimize saturated fat intake.
* Examples of saturated fats include butter, margarine, full cream dairy products, processed meats, fatty cuts of red meat, cheese, most baked goods, confectionary and chocolate products.
* Based upon the aforementioned we need to remember that if we ever hope to achieve optimum sports nutrition, we need to make every effort to eliminate saturated fats from our diets.

Polyunsaturated Essential Fatty Acids - "The Good Fats"

* We do however require certain special polyunsaturated fatty acids termed "essential fatty acids" (EFA's).
* The essential fatty acids are:

- The Linoleic acid family of fatty acids (also known as Omega 6's),
- And the Alpha-Linolenic acid family (also know as Omega 's).

* EFA's form an essential part of the cell membranes around every cell in your body and as such have been proven to play a vital role in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, eczema, depression, fatigue, infections, PMS… and the list of symptoms and diseases associated with deficiency grows every year.
* Essential fats play not only a critical role in optimizing health but also in maximizing physical performance.
* Along with being an essential part of every cell membrane, essential fats are also integral to the proper functioning of our brain, inner ear, eyes, adrenal glands and sex organs.
* In these very active tissues they play an important role in nutrient absorption, oxygen use and energy transformation and therefore a deficient supply completely negates peak performance.
* Unless we pay particular attention to our diet and make a special effort to eat the right kinds of EFA rich foods, the chances are we will not get enough good fat for peak performance.
* Good sources of essential fats are cold water fish (trout, salmon, mackerel, sardines etc), seeds (e.g. Flax seeds, pumpkin seeds) nuts (e.g. Walnuts, soybeans) and certain vegetable oils (e.g. Canola and safflower).