Fats and Bodybuilding
Fat has traditionally been viewed as the bad nutrient in nutrition, although more recently people are recognising that there are different types of fat and that there may be some health benefits by including certain types of fat in the diet. An 'obsession' with many people has come about recently, in counting the number of grams of fat in foods. It used to be to count calories, and we managed to educate people not to do this, so now they have gone onto counting fat grams, in desperation to keep under a certain level each day. This fad has probably come about from manufacturers quoting their products as so many percent fat free. I try to educate my clients not to count fat grams either, as there really is no need, due…show more content… Oily fish, remember, is a great source of protein, as well as omega-3 fats, so is an excellent food to consume. Tuna is a traditional bodybuilder's food, and has significant amounts of omega-3s, especially the blue-fin variety from the South Atlantic Ocean.
Also, there is excellent evidence that Omega-3 fish oils help muscle anabolism when supplemented to post trauma patients with the amino acids glutamine and/or arginine and RNA (see Chapters 8 and 9) (Kemen, et al 1995; Atkinson, et al 1998). This is of great interest to the science of bodybuilding, but there is, as yet, no research looking directly at the effects of supplementation with omega-3s on muscle growth.
Bodybuilders tend to want to keep lean, so consume a fairly low fat intake. Too low an intake of fat, however, could be detrimental to optimal muscle growth. Bodybuilders have high-energy requirements due to the intensity of workouts, and the energy required for growth, so fat is a valuable source of energy. As discussed in Chapter 1, variety is important, so consuming fatty foods occasionally will add variety to the diet. Consuming monounsaturates on a daily basis will also provide adequate amounts of the essential fatty acids. It may be an idea to this in the form of a high monounsaturated margarine or spread, or many bodybuilders like to have a tablespoonful of virgin olive oil a day - sounds horrible, so mix it into a glass of orange juice to mask its
