Introduction to Dietary Fats
Fat often gets treated like the villain of the nutrition world, but it’s actually one of the three essential macronutrients alongside protein and carbohydrates. So before you push it off your plate, let’s take a closer look at why fat deserves a much better reputation.
To start, fat is the nutrient that takes the longest for the body to digest. This is actually a good thing, because when we eat a meal the fat is the main component keeping us full. Therefore, unlike carbohydrates which provide a quick burst of energy, fat provides a slow and steady fuel source. Because it digests for a longer period, fat is also the nutrient that sustains an athlete in a longer or more intense workout.
This blog post will explain healthy sources of dietary fats, connect their function to athletic performance, and give practical examples of how and when athletes can incorporate them into meals and snacks.
What is Dietary Fat?
Dietary fats are the fats we eat in foods like oils, nuts, dairy, and meat. Fat is the most energy dense macronutrient of them all, providing 9 kcals per gram. Compared to carbohydrates and protein; a very small volume of fat equals a large amount of calories. The type of fat that provides us with this energy is called triglycerides. They act as our bodies reserve when we get hungry. However, we also eat cholesterol in foods such as dairy and meat. But cholesterol isn’t used for energy at all. Instead, it acts as a building block for the body.
Fats are essential to many functions throughout the body. Some fats like cholesterol promote hormone production, such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol. They also help build the membrane of each and every cell of our body. Furthermore, fats help us absorb certain vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. This means you could eat these vitamins, but without fats they can’t make their way into your system.
Types of Fats
Dietary fats can be saturated or unsaturated. Both of these types of fat are 9 kcals per gram, but work differently in our body. Saturated fats are usually solids, so foods like butter, coconut oil, cheese, and red meat are high in this. While these foods do support the previous functions mentioned, they also contribute to higher cholesterol which can have negative impacts on heart health. On the other hand, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish are heart healthy. The Dietary Guidelines for America states saturated fat should be limited to less than ten percent of your total calories daily.
Some fats are essential to eat in your diet, such as the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These two fats can not be made by our body, so we must incorporate them into our diet for optimal brain, heart, and cellular function. These can be found in fish, nuts, egg yolks and further examples given below.
Benefits of Fats for Athletes
Clearly, fats are essential for everybody. But how can they specifically benefit athletes?
As mentioned earlier, fat is the nutrient that helps athletes keep going during long or intense workouts. During most moderate to hard exercise, up to 80% of your maximum effort, the body relies heavily on fat as its main fuel source to keep energized and prevent early fatigue. This is because fat in the body stores energy from your earlier meals, so you can use it when you need it most.
Beyond this, fat has even greater benefits to young athletes specifically. Adolescents in general burn more energy due to growth, so this equates to lots of energy expenditure when involved in sports as well. Research has shown that this increased energy need makes adolescents better fat burners than most adults. Because their bodies rely so heavily on fat for energy, it’s essential to include enough of it in the diet. This can then support key functions such as hormone production and cell growth discussed above.
How Much Fats Do Athletes Need?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 20-35% of calories should come from fats in the diet. In addition, it is recommended to keep saturated fats below 10% of this. Saturated fats, also known as the ‘unhealthy fats’ include butter, high fat dairy, fried foods, pastries and high fat animal proteins. Limiting consumption of saturated fats and prioritizing unsaturated fats is beneficial to anyone, but further beneficial to athletes because they are easier to break down during a workout.
There are a few considerations when assessing the fat needs for an athlete. Understanding the athletes performance goals, weight goals, and current performance symptoms need to be taken into consideration. First, total calorie, carbohydrate and protein requirements are calculated. With the remaining calories, grams of fat are calculated. The macronutrient portions are again reviewed to ensure it matches with the athletes goals.
On an easy training day, one teaspoon of these fats per meal is adequate. On a moderate training day one tablespoon of fat is adequate. However, on a hard training day such as a race/event/game, two tablespoons worth of these fats is recommended per meal. Therefore, to support the essential functions of fat, athletes must eat the right kinds of fat in the right proportions.
What if Athletes Don’t Eat Enough Fat?
If athletes don’t eat enough fat in the diet, they are likely not getting enough total calories in a day. This is because fats are the most energy dense macronutrient. Even if this is not the case, low fat consumption means an athlete may not be able to do the functions normally carried out by triglycerides and cholesterol. These include absorbing some vitamins efficiently, synthesizing hormones, and more.
If lack of energy is an issue for a young athlete, then struggle may ensue during these intense or long periods of exercise. In ongoing cases, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS) may cause additional concerns. These may include fatigue, slow recovery, loss of menstruation in females, injuries, and mood changes.
What if Athletes Eat Too Much Fat?
When athletes eat too much fat, this could negatively effect performance. Common symptoms of too much fat in the diet include, upset stomach, feeling sluggish, changes in body composition
Best Fats for Athletes
According to the Athlete’s Plate, fat is recommended in the forms of avocado, nuts, seeds, cheese, canola or olive oil and butter. This is a good resource to follow as it reinforces the emphasis on unsaturated fat with the first three being unsaturated. The Athlete’s Plate also recommends different portions of fat per meal for different workout intensities. The more frequent and higher intensity the training schedule, the more fat an athlete should consume. This is to keep up with calorie and energy demands.
Dietary Fat Timing for Performance
Hours Before activity:
3-4 hours before exercise, whether preparing for a practice or a game, a balanced meal should be eaten. A balanced meal should include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to supply all necessary nutrients to an athlete. Depending on the intensity of the day, anywhere from a teaspoon to two tablespoons of fat can be consumed per meal.
Right Before activity:
Within 1 hour of activity, fats are generally best to avoid or limit. This is because fats take awhile to digest, and exercising while trying to break down food is not ideal. This can leave an athlete feeling more sluggish or even nauseous.
So right before a workout, stick to carbohydrates for quick energy. Fats are an important part of a healthy diet, but they’re not the best choice in the hour leading up to exercise.
After activity:
It is still important for athletes to eat foods they enjoy! After competition is the ideal time for pizza, chicken wings, and other fried food favorites.
Practical Examples for Athletes
- Fat components of a meal (eat 3-4hrs before exercise):
- Fatty fish such as salmon / mackerel / sardines (omega 3)
- Greek yogurt
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Small handful of nuts like walnuts / almonds (omega 3 and omega 6)
- Quarter of an avocado
- Eggs (Omega 6)
- Chia seeds / chia pudding (omega 3)
- Toast with almond butter
- Not so obvious ways to include fat
- Toss or brush on an unsaturated fat to your dish (such as canola/avocado/olive oil). Then bake or saute!
- Add dressings with a base of canola/avocado/olive oil. This can also include nuts and seeds for additional nutrients.
- Sauces such as Pesto are also a great way to get healthy fats in!
Dietary Fats Conclusion
Fat plays an essential role for everyone but it is even more important for young athletes. Focusing on adding more unsaturated fats and incorporating them hours before exercise can greatly benefit performance. This supports growth and development, as well as helps young athletes feel better and stay strong during competition.
Guest post written by Haley Haines, The Ohio State University