After a long holiday break, I am speaking to you again and bringing you a summary of the promised information about fats. What are these fats anyway ? Fats are one of the essential macronutrients, nowadays they are kind of a bogeyman in the diet. For ordinary gym goers, the presence of fats in their diet raises concerns about their muscular physique, the immediate increase in the tire around their waist or the deterioration of their health. However, there is no such thing as fat.
Fats, or lipids, from their chemical structure, are esters of higher carboxylic acids (fatty acids) bound to the alcohol glycerol. Thus, they cannot bind with water. Of the three basic sources of energy, fat contains the most energy per 1 gram, 38kJ = 9kcal.
It is therefore obvious that the body chooses fat stored in the form of adipose tissue (the tire on the abdomen) for long-term storage, because it is the most economical solution for the body (also in terms of body surface area per the ratio of energy contained in 1 cm2 - for carbohydrates and proteins we would need at least double the space, as they contain about 17kJ of energy per 1g = 4kcal).
Fats are a good source of essential fatty acids (our bodies cannot synthesize them on their own) and their precursors, fat-soluble vitamins, sterols and provitamins. Fats in the body have a structural and protective function. They also have a great effect on our food, improving the overall smoothness and flavor of food. They increase the feeling of satiety after eating.
Fats, distribution according to their origin:
1) Animal fats and oils - This group includes fats of warm-blooded animals, mainly milk fat (cow, ...), lard (pork, poultry), tallow (beef, ...) and fats of cold-blooded animals (fish oil).
2) Vegetable fats and oils - oilseeds in particular, these differ in their fatty acid (FA) content.
- rapeseed and sunflower oil (predominance of linoleic acid, CLA, also called Omega 6 acid)
- soybean, peanut, cottonseed and sesame oils (predominance of oleic acid and linolenic acid)
- olives, oil palm pulp (predominance of oleic acid and palmitic acid)
- oil palm kernels and coconut fat/oil (predominance of palmitic acid)
Fatty acids are further divided into saturated and unsaturated. These are then mainly divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Saturated FAs include lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, or arachic acid, for example. Many people mistakenly believe that the saturated ones are the bad ones. This is not true, however, in today's hectic diet they outnumber the unsaturated ones by several times.
Unsaturated acids: monounsaturated fatty acids (olive and rapeseed oils) (MUFA) are, for example, oleic acid or palmitoleic acid, which have positive properties in terms of possibly raising HDL = good cholesterol and confirmed lowering of bad cholesterol = LDL cholesterol. This includes omega 9MK. Polyunsaturated FAs (marine fish, nuts, rapeseed and olive oil, avocados) (PUFAs) include, for example, essential FAs and thus also omega 3,6MK.
- Fatty acids = saturated, unsaturated
- Unsaturated = monounsaturated, polyunsaturated
Fats can be further subdivided according to their state, into liquid oils and solid fats. In terms of use, we divide them into fats that are obvious (butter, oil, ...) and fats that are hidden in food (eggs, milk, meat, ...).
Fat intake:
The recommended energetic representation of fats in our diet should be 25-30% which is about 70-100g per day. This is not too much, but it is quite sufficient to cover the needs of our body. When trying to get rid of depot/subcutaneous fat we lower our daily fat intake to 15-20% of total energy.
When consuming fats, we should take into account the representation of each FC. In sports nutrition, the ratio of FAs is set at 1 : 1.4 : 1.6 (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Monounsaturated FAs are mainly represented in plant sources (oils) and should account for about 4% of the total daily energy intake.
Polyunsaturated MK also known as omega 3,6 (ratio 1 : 5). These fats should have the largest representation in our diet at about 10% of the total daily energy intake. E.g. marine fish, nuts and seeds, avocados.
We also include MCT fats in the saturated fat category. These are passed directly to the liver, where they are then used as energy. Get them to buy as dietary supplements, they are suitable for reduction diets and eating plans. For example, the high-quality protein Syntha6 from BSN also contains a good amount of MCT fats.
So don't be afraid of fats, include them in your nutrition plan. They strengthen the heart and blood vessels, reduce the bad cholesterol in the body and, on the contrary, increase the good one. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, which favourably improves muscle recovery. They also regenerate tendons and joints and have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system. Let's not forget that some vitamins only have the ability to dissolve in fats, another advantage. Use good quality olive and rapeseed oils, olives in fresh vegetable salads, eat fish with a higher fat content e.g. salmon at least once a week, include nuts e.g. almonds in your daily diet. Fats inhibit protein absorption, so it is very advisable to choose a combination of fats + protein, e.g. at bedtime. Energy from carbohydrates, on the other hand, should be avoided. Your last supper, ideally a handful of nuts and one low-fat cottage cheese, will ensure your body has enough nutrients to build and protect muscle mass. Peanut butter without added sugar, fish oil in capsule form - omega3, flaxseeds and chia seeds are also good choices.
