Fat metabolism (lipid metabolism) in the body

We continue to consider the topic of metabolic processes. It's time to move on to fine-tuning the athlete's nutrition. Understanding all the nuances of metabolism is the key to athletic performance. Fine tuning will allow you to move away from classic dietary formulas and adjust nutrition individually to your personal needs, achieving the fastest and most lasting results in training and competition. So, let's examine the most controversial aspect of modern dietetics - fat metabolism.

General information

Scientific fact: fats are absorbed and broken down in our body very selectively. So, in the human digestive tract there are simply no enzymes capable of digesting trans fats. The liver infiltrate simply seeks to remove them from the body in the shortest possible way. Perhaps everyone knows that if you eat a lot of fatty foods, it causes nausea.

A constant excess of fat leads to such consequences as:

• diarrhea;
• indigestion;
• pancreatitis;
• rashes on the face;
• apathy, weakness and fatigue;
• the so-called "fat hangover".

On the other hand, the balance of fatty acids in the body is extremely important for achieving athletic performance - in particular in terms of increasing endurance and strength. In the process of lipid metabolism, all body systems are regulated, including hormonal and genetic ones.

Let's take a closer look at which fats are good for our body, and how to use them so that they help achieve the desired result.

Types of fats

The main types of fatty acids that enter our body:

• simple;
• complex;
• arbitrary.

According to another classification, fats are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (for example, here in detail about omega-3) fatty acids. These are fats that are good for humans. There are also saturated fatty acids, as well as trans fats: these are harmful compounds that interfere with the absorption of essential fatty acids, hinder the transport of amino acids, and stimulate catabolic processes. In other words, such fats are not needed by either athletes or ordinary people.

Simple

First, consider the most dangerous but, at the same time, – the most common fats that enter our body are simple fatty acids.

What is their feature: they decompose under the influence of any external acid, including gastric juice, into ethyl alcohol and unsaturated fatty acids.

In addition, it is these fats that become the source of cheap energy in the body. They are formed as a result of the conversion of carbohydrates in the liver. This process develops in two directions - either towards the synthesis of glycogen, or towards the growth of adipose tissue. Such tissue is almost entirely composed of oxidized glucose, so that in a critical situation the body can quickly synthesize energy from it.

Simple fats are the most dangerous for an athlete:

1. The simple structure of fats practically does not load the digestive tract and the hormonal system. As a result, a person easily receives an excess calorie load, which leads to excess weight gain.
2. When they decompose, alcohol is released into the body, which is hardly metabolized and leads to a deterioration in general well-being.
3. They are transported without the help of additional transport proteins, which means that they can adhere to the walls of blood vessels, which is fraught with the formation of cholesterol plaques.

For more information on foods that are metabolized to simple fats, see the Food Table section.

Complex

Complex fats of animal origin with proper nutrition are included in the composition of muscle tissue. Unlike their predecessors, these are multi-molecular compounds.

Let's list the main features of complex fats in terms of the effect on the athlete's body:

• Complex fats are practically not metabolized without the help of free transport proteins.
• With proper adherence to the fat balance in the body, complex fats are metabolized with the release of useful cholesterol.
• They are practically not deposited in the form of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels.
• With complex fats, it is impossible to get an excess of calories - if complex fats are metabolized in the body without insulin opening the transport depot, which causes a decrease in blood glucose.
• Complex fats stress liver cells, which can lead to intestinal imbalances and dysbiosis.
• The process of breaking down complex fats leads to an increase in acidity, which negatively affects the general condition of the gastrointestinal tract and is fraught with the development of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

At the same time, fatty acids of a multi-molecular structure contain radicals bound by lipid bonds, which means that they can denature to the state of free radicals under the influence of temperature. Complex fats in moderation are good for the athlete, but should not be heat treated. In this case, they are metabolized into simple fats with the release of a huge amount of free radicals (potential carcinogens).

Arbitrary

Arbitrary fats are fats with a hybrid structure. For the athlete, these are the most healthy fats.

In most cases, the body is able to independently convert complex fats into arbitrary ones. However, in the process of lipid change in the formula, alcohols and free radicals are released.

Eating arbitrary fats:

• reduces the likelihood of free radical formation;
• reduces the likelihood of the appearance of cholesterol plaques;
• has a positive effect on the synthesis of useful hormones;
• practically does not load the digestive system;
• does not lead to an excess of calories;
• do not induce additional acid influx.

Despite the many useful properties, polyunsaturated acids (in fact, these are arbitrary fats) are easily metabolized into simple fats, and complex structures with a lack of molecules are easily metabolized into free radicals, obtaining a complete structure from glucose molecules.

And now let's move on to the fact that from the entire course of biochemistry an athlete needs to know about lipid metabolism in the body:

Paragraph 1. Classic nutrition, not adapted for sports needs, contains many simple fatty acid molecules. This is bad. Conclusion: drastically reduce the consumption of fatty acids and stop frying in oil.

Point 2. Under the influence of heat treatment, polyunsaturated acids decompose to simple fats. Conclusion: replace fried foods with baked ones. Vegetable oils should become the main source of fat - fill salads with them.

Point 3... Avoid fatty acids with carbohydrates. Under the influence of insulin, fats, practically without the influence of transport proteins, in their complete structure enter the lipid depot. In the future, even during fat burning processes, they will release ethyl alcohol, and this is an additional blow to metabolism.

And now about the benefits of fats:

• Fats must be consumed, as they lubricate joints and ligaments.
• In the process of fat metabolism, the synthesis of basic hormones occurs.
• To create a positive anabolic background, you need to maintain a balance of polyunsaturated omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 fats in the body.

To achieve the right balance, you need to limit your total calorie intake from fat to 20% of your total meal plan. At the same time, it is important to take them in conjunction with protein products, and not with carbohydrates. In this case, transporting amino acids, which will be synthesized in the acidic environment of gastric juice, will be able to metabolize excess fat almost immediately, removing it from the circulatory system and digesting it to the final product of the body's vital activity.

Products table

Outcome

So, the recommendation of all times and peoples “eat less fat” is only partially true. Some fatty acids are simply irreplaceable and must be included in the diet of an athlete. To correctly understand how an athlete should consume fats, here's a story:

A young athlete approaches the coach and asks: how to eat fat correctly? The coach replies: don't eat fat. After that, the athlete understands that fats are bad for the body and learns to plan their meals without lipids. Then he finds loopholes in which the use of lipids is justified. He learns how to craft the perfect varied fat meal plan. And when he himself becomes a coach, and a young athlete comes up to him and asks how to eat fats correctly, he also answers: do not eat fats.

Watch the video: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU EAT FAT fat metabolism (June 2025).