Are Healthy Fats A Beneficial Bodybuilding Diet Nutrient For Muscle Building?

The popularity increase of healthy eating in recent years has spawned research in natural nutrients that can serve to enhance long term health, with one of the most widely advertised being Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), which are beneficial fats that have been shown to reduce cholesterol, enhance immune system function, and aid in sustaining normal body function (such as healthy skin). Because of this, these EFA sources have become common in the diets of many, and have even caught the attention of bodybuilders as a method of providing energy while enhancing long term health.

But will fat actually assist in muscle building? This is a question many bodybuilders are asking, especially considering how some have proclaimed that a group of fat based foods can assist in hormone increase, and will therefore improve muscle gain when implemented properly within a bodybuilding diet framework. This idea has especially captured the attention of many bodybuilders who have adopted a pessimistic view of carbohydrates due to having gained substantial body fat on common carbohydrate focused muscle building diet routines.

I do not doubt the positive health impact offered by Essential Fatty Acid sources, and recommend using these as part of any diet plan, regardless of whether bodybuilding is a goal, and therefore all should integrate Essential Fatty Acids for health benefits. Yet, in terms of muscle building, carbohydrates are far more potent as compared with dietary fat, and therefore many who switch to a diet system which focuses on fat as a primary energy source will find that muscle mass gains decline, sometimes dramatically. The negative stigma attached to carbohydrates which have made higher fat diet routines popular are not related to an inherent harm originating from carbohydrate sources (as raw honey and fruit, two examples of simple carbohydrates, are extraordinarily healthy), but rather due to improperly compiled diet routines which utilize carbohydrates for a vast portion of overall caloric consumption, which causes body fat to rise far more quickly than expected. Instead of adjusting carbohydrates to a more reasonable macronutrient ratio in comparison to protein and fat, many bodybuilders instead nearly abandon carbohydrates outright, and find that their results significantly suffer.

Some say saturated fat plays an important function in hormone production, and consuming a small portion of calories from saturated fat is acceptable for those who do not suffer from any genetic predisposition towards or history of cardiovascular (heart) disease, but the likely harmful health impact from using large quantities of saturated fat outweighs any muscle building hormone related benefits, therefore of all foods consumed, saturated fat should total the smallest overall percentage. A bodybuilder who abstains from all forms of saturated fat can achieve dramatic bodybuilding progress, as I produced over 60 pounds of muscle mass while consuming a very small saturated fat level, and I do not feel that dietary fat in general, including the saturated variety, will have a dramatically positive impact on muscle gain, but will greatly harm progress if significant carbohydrates are sacrificed in favor of added fat consumption.

A prudent and properly constructed diet routine will focus upon a variety of nutrients for the best possible health impact and muscle building results, including carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, with saturated fat integrated only in moderation (for those who are not predisposed to cardiovascular related medical issues), and when doing so, the downside of carbohydrates that haunt the definition level of many bodybuilders will be averted, and the body will receive a wide range of nutrients for optimal function, both in terms of defense against disease, and total muscle gained.

A final word of warning - for those bodybuilders who currently integrate fat into their diet routine, make sure to avoid unhealthy forms of fat, such as trans fat, fried food, etc, as these types of fats are destined to deposit themselves inside of blood vessels, producing life threatening cardiovascular difficulties. The majority of health issues experienced in western civilization originate from poor behavior, including food selection, with harmful fat consumption reaching epidemic proportions due to the popularity of fast food and boxed unperishable food items that utilize terrible additives. Yet, with a great number of delicious food options available that are also extremely beneficial to muscle building and health, there is no worthwhile reason to consume damaging foods, even when visiting a restaurant. Weight lifting is not only a hobby based on maximum muscle building, but also involves enhancing long term health and well being, therefore choosing the correct collection of foods is no less important than the weight training workout itself.