essential fatty acids

5 Essential Fatty Acids That Can Help You Get and Stay Lean

The majority of athletes usually make the mistake of drastically decreasing their fat consumption once they begin a new diet. And considering the conventional advice given on internet sites you can’t blame them.

The logic is that consuming fat makes you fat. So, why in the world would anyone want to keep eating any type of fat if it’s going to keep making them look awful?

However, the reality is that this problem is much more complex and cannot be oversimplified.

The fact is that fats have an essential role in the function of numerous bodily functions, even more so when the bodybuilder is getting leaner and leaner while preparing for a bodybuilding competition.

What follows is a list of the 5 essential fatty acids that you should get acquainted with so that you can make the right food choices when it comes to preparing for a bodybuilding contest.

Vegetable Polyunsaturated Oils

There are lots of food products that are rich with this type of fats, like pumpkin seeds, sunflower oil, safflower oil, soybean oil and walnuts. They are extremely valuable to your body and you should be consuming them regularly. Read more seeds and nuts facts here.

MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides)

MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides and their main source is coconut oil. Nutritionists have various opinions of their usefulness and purpose which seem to have changed a lot over the last few decades.

In regards to bodybuilding, there is some evidence that they can help the weight loss process by controlling Leptin and appetite as well as increasing energy expenditure.

On the other hand, if you are planning on bulking during the off-season and adding a lot of overall mass, then MCTs can provide you with great fat calories.

Monounsaturated Fats

You can find monounsaturated fats in products such as olive oil and macadamia nuts. They are extremely beneficial to your health and pose no threat to your cholesterol levels or the functioning of the hormones.

In order to see best results incorporate them into your regular diet on a daily basis. The body uses them for brain and organ function. Additionally, they have a great taste.

Fish Oil

Essential fatty acids cannot be naturally synthesized by the body, however, they extremely useful when it comes to getting your body working at the highest optimal capacity, especially the brain.

Supplements with fish oil are very popular among bodybuilders because they help derive the optimal macronutrient ratio in their diet without having to sacrifice the size they’ve acquired or their health. Salmon, trout and mackerel are the top natural sources of fish oil.

If you want to have optimal muscular development, you need to feed your body the best possible food ingredients.

Beginners who are not that knowledgeable about nutrition and training would usually reduce their fat consumption even eliminate it altogether, but those who’ve been in the game longer and took the time to do some research know that it’s the amount of carbs you consume daily that will prevent you from losing weight, not the fat.

Fatty Acid Supplements

If your regular diet doesn’t seem to satisfy your body’s daily fat needs or you start experiencing symptoms of fat intake deficiency or simply experience negative health consequences, the best thing to do is visit the nearest healthy food store and buy yourself some fatty acid supplements, usually made from multiple fat sources in order to have a solid health foundation.

Takeaway

Eating the right type of fats alone will not get you contest ready very quickly though. You must still abide by the caloric deficit rule and you cannot do that with dieting alone either.

Reducing your carb consumption will be one of the options, but then again you will also need to increase your overall level of activity, especially during your cardio sessions.

If you do that and you continue to stay active, you will most surely get leaner. The majority of bodybuilders will choose to do 2 to 3 workouts of 40 minutes of medium level cardio activity using an elliptical or a chair stepper weekly.

When you combine that with a healthy diet full of essential fatty acids, you’ll be way on your path to a healthier and slimmer you.


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