NEW STUDY SHOWS DIETARY FAT IMPROVES ENDURANCE

A clinical study on six trained runners published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise compared the effects of different fat content in three diets: 15% Fat (Low), 24% (Normal), and 38% (high). The results showed that:

1. Running time to exhaustion was greatest after the High Fat diet: 91.2 minutes for the High Fat; 75.8 minutes for the Low Fat diet; and 69.3 minutes for the Normal Fat diet.

2. Oxygen utilization (VO2 max) was also higher on the High Fat diet: 66.4 ml/kg/min versus 59.6 for the Low Fat and 63.7 for the Normal.

3. Other biochemical measures did not differ significantly among the subjects.

The American Nutrition Association recommends getting 25 - 30% of your calories from quality dietary fats. Some tips on types of fat which are better for you. One of the best essential fatty acid supplements, which is fish oil is GPA/GLA Complex.

Use virgin olive oil and canola oil for cooking. Spray-On Olive oil is now available! Use polyunsaturated oils from grains, vegetables and fish. Keep saturated fats to 10% or fewer of your total calories.

Avoid products with the trans fatty acids produced by hydrogenating domestic vegetable oils. Naturally processed tropical oils are a lot better for you than hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Note: Hydrogenated tropical oils do not have trans fatty acids in them. They're a lot safer than the hydrogenated vegetable oils that are so often
used to replace them.

Avoid deep fat fried foods, particularly from sources which reuse fats (such as fast food French fries or chicken nuggets).

Use butter. Don't use margarine.

Dietary fats have been unfairly disparaged. Healthful fats can actually help you lose weight; reduce cholesterol levels; improve HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels; and improve your hair, skin, and nails.

Reference Reading:

“Effect of dietary fat on metabolic adjustments to maximal VO2 and endurance on runners”, by Muoio, Leddy, Horvath, Awad Pendergast; State Univ. of New York at Buffalo; School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Accepted for publication by
the American College of Sports Medicine in July, 1993.