Underestimated nutrient fat

Endurance athletes have long relied on a fat / protein diet to increase endurance. High time to free the nutrient fat from its bad image!

Among the civilization diseases, the number of diseases related to diet-related diseases continues to increase. Not least for this reason, it made sense to reconsider the dietary recommendations that have been in place for decades in Germany. The well-known information of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) on the ratio of macronutrients in our diet got competition. Nowadays, there are different approaches in which the nutrient ratio in favor of protein and fat in our daily diet has been postponed. What is optimal for whom and most beneficial to health is discussed controversially in science anyway.

The fat phobia

No other macronutrient has been wronged in recent decades as much as the nutrient fat. So you could literally speak of a fat phobia, which was already natural for many of us. Do you also get overwhelming negative effects when thinking about fat? Sad enough, considering that fat is an essential nutrient we can not live without. It is only a few years since voices have been heard that approach the nutrient with new aspects and that have positive effects on it. And not only that - they liberate him from the permanent image of evil. It would be desirable - for your health! (1)

The history of nutritional recommendations

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The earliest nutrient-based nutritional recommendations are believed to have come from Dutch physiologist and physician Jakob Moleschott. In 1859 he describes for the first time the diet of individual men with strenuous activities and publishes this. Moleschott had an energy requirement of 2,918 kcal a day with a nutrient ratio of 59% carbohydrates, 26% fats and 18% protein. Other scientists also described the diets of hard-working men, all of which were stocktaking. For the first time in the course of the warlike times at the beginning of the 20th century, people were occupied with the minimum food requirements for troop meals. All of the requirements that arose during this time related to maintaining the physical performance of hard-working people and showed a fat content in the diet of around 17% to a maximum of 33%. 55-58% should account for carbohydrates and 13-18% for protein. Over time, these requirements were understood as recommendations for the everyday food of all healthy people and remained in Germany for almost half a century. In the times of the Second World War, it was necessary to maintain the capacity of the population despite a shortage of food. Carbohydrates were a valuable, beneficial resource. However, after the war, in the period of upswing, the lifestyle of the population changed. Food was no longer scarce, industrially produced and processed foods such as finished products and confectionery conquered the market. The people had to work less physically hard and the infrastructure in Germany was expanded. Everything changed, just not the dietary recommendations. Germany continues to record a steady increase in nutritional lifestyle diseases. (1)

Fat over the years

The fat phobia of the last 30 years spilled from the US to Germany. Note: A specific fat recommendation first appeared there in 1974 and was formulated by the American Heart Association (AHA). Previously, the steady increase in heart attacks in the US population, and not least the then President Dwight D. Eisenhower led to research into the causes of this "killer". From his metabolic studies, the biochemist Ancel Keys concluded that the fats of the diet led to heart attacks. With no evidence of benefit, he claimed that Americans should reduce their daily fat intake to 30% of the daily kcal to protect their health. In later years, in which isolated scientists with their studies the contrary, they were no longer able to oppose the fat policy.

Re-evaluated: fat and cardiovascular disease

Who does not know: The division into "good" fats and "bad" fats. Above all, the saturated fatty acids were rated negative for years. They were blamed for high blood lipid levels when consumed high. Since this is a misjudgment, the DGE had to give in their 2006 fat guideline. The 3 saturated fatty acids, lauric, myristic and palmitic acid, which have an effect on cholesterol levels, not only increase the supposedly bad LDL cholesterol but also increase the good HDL cholesterol and lower the triglycerides (blood lipids). A more meaningful parameter than LDL cholesterol as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease is the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol anyway. Typical of millions of people with obesity and lack of exercise are too high triglycerides with low HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is not bad per se. It should be noted that people who eat a particularly high intake of saturated fatty acids have no changed risk of heart or brain infarction compared to people with low intakes. The majority of long-term follow-up studies came to this conclusion, with very few exceptions. Fats, to which the data are more informative and consistent, are omega-3 and trans fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are most prevalent in mackerel, salmon, herring and sardines, provide compelling data for a cardiac and vascular protective effect. In contrast, the trans fatty acids are to be evaluated as a health risk. Trans fatty acids are formed in industrial partial curing when liquid oils are solidified to produce coating, baking and cooking fats. They are the real culprits.

Excursus fat

Fats are supplied to the body via food in the form of triglycerides. Some of the fatty acids can be made by the organism itself. However, there are also those that are essential for the body (vital) and that must be supplied through the diet. Depending on the presence of chemical double bonds between the carbon atoms, a distinction is made between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The existence of one or more double bonds and the localization of the first double bond is crucial for the quality and meaning of the fat. Saturated fatty acids are usually taken in large quantities through the diet. However, they are not essential, that is, the organism is able to build itself. Foods of animal origin such as cream, lard, meat or sausages are rich in saturated fat. The unsaturated fatty acids are subdivided once again into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids are also absorbed through the diet, whereby the monounsaturated fatty acids can also be formed from saturated fatty acids by the organism. An example of a monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid. Olive oil and rapeseed oil are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. The essential fatty acids include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Adapt your diet to your workout!

As an endurance athlete, you can benefit from your diet by adapting it to your workouts and associated physiological processes. So the carbohydrate-balanced full-bodied mixed food is not a taboo per se for you. However, it should be used tactically well placed. With regard to the 3 main nutrients, carbohydrates are of particular importance in sports nutrition. Not for nothing they are called fuel for our organism. They are quickly digested and absorbed into the body. In addition, they provide more energy per unit of time than fats and are thus the primary source of energy for all intense exercise. This means that those who do physically intense work and need a lot of energy for it, need fuel in the form of carbohydrates to sustain this work. Especially in the field of endurance sports, the optimal supply of carbohydrates plays an important role, especially in direct competition preparation and on competition days: on the one hand, to fill your glycogen stores during the direct competition preparation in the musculature and in the liver; on the other hand, to provide your organism with sufficient and fast energy during the competition and to conserve the memory. But they are also a valuable nutrient in everyday training - provided that there are intensive loads on the program. (3)

Endurance sports and fat: valuable benefits

As a basic diet and during everyday training during extensive exercise, the fat / protein diet is clearly recommended. This is especially true for the different A's usdauersportarten such as triathlon, cycling and running. Because during the extensive loads that dominate here, the fats for the provision of energy are completely sufficient. In addition, your fat stores can supply almost unlimited energy. In endurance sports the following applies: The better the fat metabolism is trained, the better is the endurance capacity for loads of 30-45 minutes duration. This is to be understood as follows: During long-term endurance exercise, the energy in the organism is provided by the aerobic route, that is, by the use of oxygen. For this purpose, the organism can metabolize fat or carbohydrates as an energy source. The advantage of fats over carbohydrates is that they can be stored in the organism almost indefinitely. The carbohydrate stores in muscle and liver, however, are limited. The better your lipid metabolism is now trained, the longer your organism can spare the carbohydrate stores and the longer you will be able to sustain your work. So if you want to optimize your stamina, your goal must be to get the most out of your fat metabolism. Carbohydrate shortage is therefore the necessary training stimulus, so that the metabolism increasingly uses fats as an energy source. Your muscles will over time optimize their fat burning system with all the associated enzymes. This results in the ability to be able to cover even higher load intensities by burning fat. (How to save a kilogram of fat per week, read here) Athletes are rarely able to fully absorb the required amounts of carbohydrate during exercise. The nasty surprise "carbohydrate fanatics" then usually in competition. Trimmed solely for carbohydrate burning, performance drops abruptly with the onset of low carbohydrate availability. A trained fat metabolism will pay off in the competition! (3)