Practical Sports Nutrition Advice

Fat is the victim of an unfortunate name. It is all too easy to believe that eating fat makes you fat. Indeed, for many years most diet experts thought that it did, and many do even today despite compelling evidence that eating a fairly high-fat diet is no more likely to cause you to become overweight than eating a high-carbohydrate or high-protein diet.

For example, in a 2002 review, entitled “The Influence of Dietary Composition on Energy Intake and Body Weight,” Roberts et al. noted that:

• Fat calories as a percentage of total calories in the American diet had fallen over the preceding 20 years while overweight and obesity rates had increased drastically.

• Studies investigating the effects of reduced fat intake on weight loss have shown that reduced fat intake results in very little weight loss when calories are not controlled, suggesting that it is an excess of calories in general rather than of fat in particular that causes weight gain.

All sound evidence that no one should fear fat. But additional research has shown that those in marathon training, triathlon training, or any other type of endurance sport training should be extra certain their sports nutrition plan includes fat. For example, one study from the University of Buffalo found that female runners who ate the least fat suffered the most injuries. Based on such findings, the American Dietetic Association and the American College of Sports Medicine has changed its recommended fat intake level for athletes from 20 percent of total calories to a range of 20 to 35 percent of total calories.

All fats, however, are not created equal. Here are some guidelines to help you consume the right kinds of fats:

Limit saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of total calories. If you’re like most Americans, you’re currently getting more than 12 percent of your calories from saturated fat. You can easily get that number under 10 percent by replacing whole-milk dairy foods with low-fat dairy foods, choosing leaner cuts of meat, and replacing some whole eggs with eggs whites. Ideally, your marathon training diet or triathlete diet should contain twice as many unsaturated fats as saturated fats.

Minimize the added fats. Some foods contain fat naturally, such as eggs and nuts. Other foods, such as fried foods and many processed baked goods, have added fat. Foods high in added fat should make up a minimal part of your diet.

Avoid trans fats at all costs. Trans fats are created when scientists add hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fats, making them better for baking and prolonging their shelf life. Trans fats have been shown to increase heart disease risk even more than saturated fat. Meanwhile, both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL (the bad cholesterol). Fortunately, the FDA now requires that trans fat content be listed on food package labels, making it easier to eat around this most unhealthy type of fat.

Consume 3,000 mg of omega-3 fats daily. The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are essential fatty acids (EFA), meaning they cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained in adequate amounts in the diet. Omega-3s create healthier cell membranes. In addition, they are important precursors to anti-inflammatory components of the immune system. Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, sympathetic nervous system function, immune function, and brain function. The best sources of omega-3 fatty acids are identical to the best sources of polyunsaturated fats in general: fatty types of fish (salmon, halibut, etc.), flax seeds, and walnuts.