Fat metabolism affects a person's ability to store excess fat. Learn all about this process, and losing weight will no longer be a problem for you. The fatty or lipid process is the totality of all physiological processes of conversion of neutral fats and their subsequent biosynthesis in the body. However, before starting a conversation about fat metabolism in bodybuilding, you should understand what lipids are and what types of them exist.
Lipids are similar in composition to carbohydrates and are composed of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. The main difference between fats and carbohydrates is the ratio of these substances.
Lipid types
There are three groups of fats in total.
Simple fats
Simple or neutral fats are composed of triglycerides, which are a combination of several fatty acids linked together by a glycerol molecule. Almost all dietary fats, namely 98%, are triglycerides. In turn, simple fats can be divided into saturated and unsaturated:
- Saturated fatty acids have only single bonds between carbon atoms. Since the molecule of saturated lipids does not have double bonds, their cleavage is difficult. These fats are found in animal products.
- Unsaturated fats have at least one double bond in the main carbon chain. For this reason, unsaturated lipid molecules have fewer hydrogen atoms that can bind to fatty acids.
When talking about simple fats, mention should be made of hydrogenation. This process is the conversion of unsaturated fat to saturated fat. To do this, liquid hydrogen is passed under pressure through heated oil, which makes it possible to replace double bonds with single bonds and increase the melting point of fats. When hydrogenation is used, trans fatty acids are created, which have a negative effect on the body.
Complex fats
Lipids are called complex lipids, which are compounds of a triglyceride with various chemicals:
- Phospholipids are fatty acids combined with a phosphoric or nitrogen base;
- Glycolipids are fatty acids combined with nitrogen and glucose;
- Lipoproteins are fats that combine with protein compounds and act as a transport for other fats in the body.
Derivative fats
This type of fat has rings instead of carbohydrate chains. This group includes cholesterol. This substance is always present in the body, but if it is in excess, it has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system.
Digestion of fats
Since dietary fats do not dissolve in water, they collect in large droplets on the walls of the stomach. Lipids are digested in the intestines, under the influence of a special enzyme synthesized by the pancreas.
It should be noted that the reaction that occurs during the digestion of fats occurs only on the surface of the droplets. To speed up the process of lipid processing, large droplets break up into smaller ones. This allows you to increase the area of interaction of lipase with fats. The body then synthesizes other active substances that allow you to digest fats. It is worth recognizing that fat metabolism in bodybuilding is very complex and a large number of different enzymes are involved in this process.
Fat catabolism
At the moment when free fats, which have entered into a bond with albumin, enter the muscle tissue, the free fatty acids are released and delivered to the tissue cells. Here they again bind with glycerol and, as a result, triglycerides are formed, or, if necessary, they can be used as energy carriers.
Once in the mitochondria, fatty acids are oxidized and converted to acetyl-CoA. When the entire fatty acid molecule undergoes this conversion, then they are all sent to the citric acid cycle.
Glycerol catabolism
The glycerol molecule, which is formed during the course of the lipolysis process, dissolves well in water, due to which it quickly enters the bloodstream. Once in the liver, glycerin can be converted to glucose. Glycerin is in the form of 3-phosphoglyceralgide, which can be converted to pyruvate. This substance, once in the citric acid cycle, will then be oxidized to ATP.
Fat intake
Fats are the source of energy for the entire body, provide protection to the organs, isolate and then act as a transport for fat-soluble vitamins. Various fat-free nutrition programs are popular today, but dietary fats are essential for the body.
Just as there are essential amino acid compounds, there are also essential fatty acids - linoleic acid. This substance is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is not synthesized by the body. Linoleic acid is essential for the preservation of cell membranes, their growth and reproduction, and also performs other important functions. The main supplier of linoleic acid is food, and special nutritional supplements are now being produced.
The established rate of dietary fat intake is at least 30% of the total caloric intake. It is also important to know that 20 to 30 percent of the fat should be saturated and the rest unsaturated. To make it clearer, the following example can be given. A person consumes about 60 grams of fat per day, of which 12 to 18 grams should be saturated.
The remaining 42 to 48 grams are unsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, fish, flax seeds, or supplements such as fish oil.
When talking about fat metabolism in bodybuilding, it should be remembered that fat is not always the enemy of the body. Getting the right amount of unsaturated (healthy) fats only contributes to better health and increases the effectiveness of training. Certain saturated fats may also be of value to athletes, but they should be consumed in reasonable amounts.
You can learn more about the beneficial and harmful properties of dietary fats in this video:
