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

The explosion of healthy eating in recent years has spawned research in natural nutrients that can enhance health and well being, 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 response, and aid in sustaining normal body function (such as healthy skin). Therefore, these Essential Fatty Acids have become popular in the diets of many, and have even captured the attention of bodybuilders as a method of providing energy while improving long term health.

But will fat actually aid in muscle building? This is a question many bodybuilders have been asking, especially considering how some have proclaimed that certain fat sources can assist in hormone production, and will therefore boost muscle gain when implemented properly within a bodybuilding diet framework. This idea has especially captured the attention of many bodybuilders who have developed a negative view of carbohydrates due to having gained substantial body fat on common carbohydrate focused muscle building diet plans.

I do not doubt the positive health impact offered by Omega 3, 6, and 9 EFA sources, and do recommend using these as part of any diet routine, regardless of whether bodybuilding is a goal, and therefore all should aim to add Essential Fatty Acids for immune system benefits. Yet, in relation to muscle gain, carbohydrates are far more anabolic as compared with dietary fat, and therefore many who switch to a diet routine which uses fat as a primary energy source will find that muscle mass declines, sometimes dramatically. The negative stigma linked with carbohydrates which have made higher fat diets en vogue 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 incorrectly compiled diet routines which utilize carbohydrates for a vast portion of total caloric intake, which causes body fat to rise far more quickly than necessary. Instead of adjusting carbohydrates to a more reasonable macronutrient percentage in comparison to protein and fat, many bodybuilders instead nearly reject carbohydrates completely, and find that their results significantly suffer.

Some say saturated fat plays a role 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 heart disease or cardiovascular dysfunction, but the potential harmful health side effects originating from large quantities of saturated fat greatly exceeds any muscle building hormone related benefits, therefore of all foods consumed, saturated fat should comprise the lowest overall percentage. A bodybuilder avoiding all forms of saturated fat can achieve dramatic bodybuilding progress, as I gained 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 provide a dramatically positive impact on muscle gain, but will derail progress if significant carbohydrates are abandoned in favor of added fat consumption.

A properly constructed diet plan will focus upon a variety of nutrients for the best possible health benefits 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 often feared negative impact 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 plan, please avoid unhealthy forms of fat, such as trans fat, as these types of fats are destined to deposit themselves within blood vessels, leading to serious cardiovascular difficulties. The majority of health issues experienced in our modern culture originate from poor behavior, including food selection, with unhealthy fat consumption reaching epidemic levels due to the popularity of fast food and boxed unperishable food items that utilize terrible additives. Yet, with so many delicious food choices available that are also extremely beneficial to muscle building and health, there is no worthwhile reason to design a diet routine based upon damaging foods, even when eating at a restaurant. Weight lifting is not only a hobby based on maximum muscle gain, but also involves improving overall health and well being, therefore choosing the correct collection of foods is no less important than the weight lifting workout routine itself.

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