E2G EAT TO GROW
fatty acids. They remind us that saturated
fats protect the liver from toxic by-products
generated via alcohol consumption and
medications, including acetaminophen and
other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) used to relieve pain.
The Testosterone-Fat Connection
At the other end of this spectrum, fat plays a
critical role in the manufacture of testoster-
one. In fact, studies show that maintaining an
intake of fat at 25 to 40 percent of your daily
calorie intake appears to generate the best
results. Ironically, renowned sports nutrition
researchers Jeff Volek, PhD, and William J.
Kraemer, PhD, found that ratios of saturat-
ed fats and monounsaturated fatty acids
raised testosterone levels more efficiently
than the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids
to saturated fats. Inopportunely, this latter
concentration significantly decreases tes-
tosterone production and occurs due to the
increased susceptibility of PUFAs to peroxi-
dation (the oxidative degradation or damage
of lipids). Furthermore, studies indicate that
lower intakes of fat increase levels of SHBG
(sex-hormone binding globulin) and lower
free testosterone levels. As you know, most
circulating testosterone is bound to the hor-
mone SHBG, meaning what isn’t, about two
percent, generates all those anabolic profi-
ciencies such as muscle growth, increased
strength, and fat-burning. The take-home
message here is that a low intake of fat (less
than 20 percent) produces a significantly
lower concentration of testosterone.
Improved Performance And Recovery
Walter Willett, MD, of Harvard University
maintains that plant oils such as canola,
corn, olive, peanut, as well as nuts (almonds,
peanuts, pistachios, and walnuts); fish,
particularly oily fish such as salmon, canned
tuna; and flax seeds are good sources
of unsaturated fatty acids, the healthiest
types of fat. Researchers at Urmia Univer-
sity in Iran reported that 1.8 grams a day
of omega-3s inhibit delayed onset muscle
soreness post-workout. Investigators at the
University of Wollongong in Australia found
that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
are freely integrated into heart and skeletal
muscle membranes. Because of this physio-
logical anomaly, omega-3s have the ability to
decrease whole-body oxygen demand during
exercise. This is a critical point in sustaining
full-bodied workouts, as improved oxygen use
increases workout performance, recovery, and
increases whole-body energy levels due to
improved cellular oxygenation.
HUMANS CAN
MANUFACTURE
JUST ABOUT EVERY
MOLECULE OF GLUCOSE
WE NEED FROM A
COMBINATION OF FAT
AND PROTEIN IN THE
DIET, ESSENTIALLY
SWITCHING
METABOLISM FROM
RELYING SOLELY ON
GLUCOSE TO RUNNING
ON HEALTHY FATS.
Fat And The Immune System
Although krill oil, a rich source of omega-3
fatty acids, doesn’t appear to modify workout
performance, researchers at the University of
Aberdeen in the United Kingdom reports that
it reactivates exercise-induced down-regu-
lation of the immune response. They found
that two grams a day of supplemental krill
oil for six weeks increased PBMC IL-2 (pe-
ripheral blood mononuclear cell) production
24 JUNE 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
and natural killer cell cytotoxic activity (white
blood cells) within three hours following a
workout in both healthy young males and
females. Conversely, in a 2009 study appear-
ing in Nutrition Research, scientists reported
that two grams a day of krill oil for four weeks
increased concentrations of omega-3 fatty
acids in overweight and obese men and
women. It turns out that omega-3s found in
krill oil are five times more absorbable than
those found in fish. Nevertheless, one of the
pitfalls concerning fat is that it is freely stored
within fat tissue and to a lesser extent within
the muscle. Uniquely, krill oil has the ability
to increase beta-oxidation, an intricate pro-
cess in which fatty acids are broken down by
various tissues to produce energy.
Energized And Chiseled
Individuals who regularly engage in resistance
training generally realize greater utilization
of fatty acids, fueled by increased lipolysis
(release of triglycerides stored in the muscle).
For instance, researchers of the School of
Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University
of Birmingham in the United Kingdom report
that the greatest rates of fat oxidation occur
at intensities between 59 percent and 64
percent of maximum oxygen consumption in
trained individuals, and between 47 percent
and 52 percent within the general population.
Investigators of the Human Performance
Laboratory at the University of Texas and
the Department of Exercise Science at the
University of Southern California remind us
that low intakes of fat and high carbohydrate
consumption reduces whole-body lipolysis,
total fat oxidation, and fatty acid oxidation
during fasted exercise. This glitch occurs due
to decreased concentration of intramuscu-
lar fats. Increased glucose concentrations
also decrease fat oxidation by inhibiting the
transport of fatty acids across mitochondri-
al membranes. Unfortunately, fat-burning
occurs within mitochondrial cells. This phys-
iologica