Sport how little is "too little" saturated fat?
- Thread starter sexanoe
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Sport Fitness
Good point. Some is definitely good. I would love to know a minimum myself.
What I do is aim for an equal balance. Usually I'm at 30% of calories from fat, so that 10% saturated, 10% poly, and 10% mono. I will always sacrifice saturated for the other two.
But, I find that if you're clean eating, and even having a bit of real butter or cheese, it doesn't go over 10%.
But, I find that if you're clean eating, and even having a bit of real butter or cheese, it doesn't go over 10%.
That's a solid switch. Good call.
Hi,
We came across this thread and thought we’d help out with the question asked and give some information and advice based on our experience within the industry.
We agree with Malkore that you should aim for an equal balance when it comes to your diet, even when you're trying to bulk up.
The recommended daily intake for saturated fats is 11%, unsaturated fats (such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) is 22% and trans fats is 2%. Most food labels will not mention the weight of trans fats on the nutrition section and so the best way to calculate it is to look at the total fat and subtract the saturated and unsaturated fat content (if available) and what is left over is trans fats. Although we wouldn't fully suggest aiming for intake levels that differ too much from the daily guidelines, they can give you a good indication of what you can alter.
Moreover, rather than just looking at fat intake, you could also look into your protein and Carbohydrate levels as these can have a big impact on weight loss and gain. Interestingly we had an article published in our bi-monthly e-zine related to carbohydrate and protein intake, which discussed the following:
"How much protein should you consume?
I would recommend having 1.5-2g per kg of body weight per day. So a 100kg male would need 150-200g of protein per day. Most food packaging labels can give you an indication of protein levels.
How much carbohydrate should I intake daily?
Ensure adequate amounts of carbohydrate are eaten i.e. 6-8 g/kg body weight per day when training intensely. Carbohydrates spare the use of protein during exercise. The only time carbohydrates may be avoided or reduced is when there is a need to reduce body fat since excess carbohydrates are stored as fat.
Pre/Post exercise diet intake?
Ensure carbohydrate and essential amino acids are ingested 60 minutes before intense training. Ingest carbohydrates (1-2g/kg body mass) and protein in a 3:1 ratio in the hour after training."
If you're interested, the full article can be viewed on the Future Fit Training website, in the News Archive: Jan – Mar 2009.
We hope this helps.
Best wishes
Future Fit Training
We came across this thread and thought we’d help out with the question asked and give some information and advice based on our experience within the industry.
We agree with Malkore that you should aim for an equal balance when it comes to your diet, even when you're trying to bulk up.
The recommended daily intake for saturated fats is 11%, unsaturated fats (such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) is 22% and trans fats is 2%. Most food labels will not mention the weight of trans fats on the nutrition section and so the best way to calculate it is to look at the total fat and subtract the saturated and unsaturated fat content (if available) and what is left over is trans fats. Although we wouldn't fully suggest aiming for intake levels that differ too much from the daily guidelines, they can give you a good indication of what you can alter.
Moreover, rather than just looking at fat intake, you could also look into your protein and Carbohydrate levels as these can have a big impact on weight loss and gain. Interestingly we had an article published in our bi-monthly e-zine related to carbohydrate and protein intake, which discussed the following:
"How much protein should you consume?
I would recommend having 1.5-2g per kg of body weight per day. So a 100kg male would need 150-200g of protein per day. Most food packaging labels can give you an indication of protein levels.
How much carbohydrate should I intake daily?
Ensure adequate amounts of carbohydrate are eaten i.e. 6-8 g/kg body weight per day when training intensely. Carbohydrates spare the use of protein during exercise. The only time carbohydrates may be avoided or reduced is when there is a need to reduce body fat since excess carbohydrates are stored as fat.
Pre/Post exercise diet intake?
Ensure carbohydrate and essential amino acids are ingested 60 minutes before intense training. Ingest carbohydrates (1-2g/kg body mass) and protein in a 3:1 ratio in the hour after training."
If you're interested, the full article can be viewed on the Future Fit Training website, in the News Archive: Jan – Mar 2009.
We hope this helps.
Best wishes
Future Fit Training
I have a few comments here.
1) Who is "we" in "we came across this thread" ?
2) They recommend 2% of trans fat? That doesn't make much sense to me as they can ONLY do you harm, not good. Why not recommend zero?
3) Where did you get the numbers for fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake? I agree with the protein. I can't refute the fat (other than the trans fat thing), because I don't know enough. I don't think anybody needs that amount of carbs, even endurance athletes. And if somebody does require that, it is ONLY endurance athletes, IMO. So I would definitely love to know where the numbers are coming from.
4) Why ingest CHO+P 60 minutes after exercise? Lots of studies have shown that MPS increases from 24 to 48 to as much as 72 hours post exercises, and many studies have shown equal or greater results in pre-workout nutrition vs. post-workout. And why 1-2g/kg of CHO in the 3:1 CHO
ratio?If this can ALL be answered in the article, feel free to direct me there, otherwise please address the questions.
Thanks
No lower limit of saturated fat intake has been identified. My take is that one should minimize their intake "as much as possible", while still maintaining a "nutritionally adequate diet", since even small quantities are harmful to an extent.
"No randomized clinical trials of low-fat diets or low-saturated fat diets of sufficient duration have been carried out; thus, there is a lack of knowledge of how low saturated fat intake can be without the risk of potentially deleterious health outcomes."
From a 2006 study abstract by German and Dillard.
Hope this helps!
"No randomized clinical trials of low-fat diets or low-saturated fat diets of sufficient duration have been carried out; thus, there is a lack of knowledge of how low saturated fat intake can be without the risk of potentially deleterious health outcomes."
From a 2006 study abstract by German and Dillard.
Hope this helps!
I have a few comments here.
1) Who is "we" in "we came across this thread" ?
2) They recommend 2% of trans fat? That doesn't make much sense to me as they can ONLY do you harm, not good. Why not recommend zero?
3) Where did you get the numbers for fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake? I agree with the protein. I can't refute the fat (other than the trans fat thing), because I don't know enough. I don't think anybody needs that amount of carbs, even endurance athletes. And if somebody does require that, it is ONLY endurance athletes, IMO. So I would definitely love to know where the numbers are coming from.
4) Why ingest CHO+P 60 minutes after exercise? Lots of studies have shown that MPS increases from 24 to 48 to as much as 72 hours post exercises, and many studies have shown equal or greater results in pre-workout nutrition vs. post-workout. And why 1-2g/kg of CHO in the 3:1 CHO
If this can ALL be answered in the article, feel free to direct me there, otherwise please address the questions.
Thanks
Hi,
We are Future Fit Training, a UK based fitness course training provider offering internationally recognised and accredited practical and distance learning fitness qualifications in Personal Training, Pilates, Nutrition, Aerobics and more. We have a large number of highly qualified and experienced Tutors within our company, and we like to share this experience and knowledge to help answer general queries from forums goers.
We agree that if people are able to omit Trans Fats from their diets entirely that would be ideal. However due to the amount of processed foods in most food shops a more realistic guideline (in-line with UK government guidelines) is presented in our article. 2% Trans Fats is in-line with guidelines outlined in the UK Department of Health’s Report 41. Regarding figures for the intake of fat, carbohydrate and protein these are also based on guidelines from Report 41. To put our post and article in context our nutrition courses train people to become Nutrition and Weight Management Advisors and work with the general public, and our Nutrition for Sport and Exercise course is designed for fitness professionals to work specifically with athletics and sports people. Our courses are REPs (Register of Exercise Professionals) accredited.
If you’d like to read the article in full please visit the Future Fit Training website, in the News Archive: Jan – Mar 2009.
There are always differences of opinion and debate in all disciplines and fields and we hope we have clarified and answered your queries.
Best wishes
Future Fit Training
Most everything you eat is processed now a days. It's just a matter of how much/little.
Unless you buy whole animal parts from the butcher, even your meat has been processed by way of adding water, preservatives, or just they way it's processed when making it go from the animal, to the package you see in your grocers aisle/freezer/deli.
Check the label. Many of your chicken products, even brands like sanderson farms, or boars head have have processing. Very minimal, but it's still not just "pulled from the bone and packed".
That is not too little. Saturated fat is not a macro you need to worry about eating too little of.
What about the link between saturated fat and a healthy hormonal balance in men? Low sat fat levels have a strong link to insufficient testosterone production
The point I'm making is, if he's eating the appropriate level of calories, the sats should fall into place. It would be pretty difficult to consume, for example, 7000 calories but intake only a few grams of sats.
This is true. And I understand your point. But the example of 7000 calories is extreme. Most people that are concerned with their food intake and specifically the sat. fat intake are in a reduced caloric diet. I think it would be better to direct them towards the healthier saturated fats like coconut oil than saying you can't have too little saturated fats.
Those consuming large amounts of calories are not as concerned with how 'clean' their diet is and will get in plenty of saturated fat.
But we have people that are new to engaging a new diet lifestyle and will be a bit extreme and follow advice like a guideline. So in saying, you can't consume too little saturated fat might lend a person to start throwing out all saturated fat out of their diet. This would mess up hormone production in the body.
True, but many types of processing do not involve adding artificial trans-fats / hydrogenated oils to the food.
Beef and dairy fat do contain small amounts of naturally occurring trans-fats, although some claim that they are not unhealthy like artificial trans-fats from hydrogenated oils.