As discussed in my post entitled “Macronutrients Guide: Fat”, the 15-25% of your total amount of calories should come from fat, since it is essential for many body functions. It is an important building block for all cell membranes, it is needed for the absorption and transport of the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), it is used for hormone production (e.g. testosterone), it may be of assistance in the metabolism of body fat, and it helps to the digestion and use of protein. In addition, fat can be also used as a long-term energy source (fat yields 9 calories per gram).
Fat includes Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s), which are polyunsaturated fats that cannot be synthesized by the body on its own, and thus they must be ingested in the diet. However, during fat loss periods (which are often driven by extremely low fat diets), getting the needed amount of EFA’s through diet can be hard. In these situations, supplementing with EFA’s can make sense. According to this, this post ends up the series related to the foundation supplements for the bodybuilder providing information about good sources of EFA’s and some useful pointers for their supplementation.
There are two types of EFA’s: Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3). The best sources for Linoleic Acid are safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, flax seeds and flax seed oil, canola oil, corn oil, hemp oil, olive oil, soybean and soybean oil, fresh deepwater fish (especially salmon, tuna, and trout) and fish oils, nuts (especially peanuts and walnuts), pumpkin seeds, and avocados. Most of them are also rich in monounsaturated fats. Some of them (i.e. fresh deepwater fish, flax seeds and flax seed oil, hemp oil, canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds) are also sources of Alpha-Linolenic Acid, especially flax seeds and flax seed oil, which have a good balance of both EFA’s.
Adding some of these sources to your diet should be enough to get all the required EFA’s. As a rule of thumb, 5-6 grams of Linoleic Acid and 2-3 grams of Alpha-Linolenic Acid are recommended per day. As Linoleic Acid is more usual in food sources than Alpha-Linolenic Acid, additional supplements are typically not needed when following a proper nutrition. Supplementing Alpha-Linolenic Acid can be needed during fat loss periods. Using a fresh source of EFA’s is highly recommended. Go for capsules or pills only if you cannot tolerate the taste of liquid forms. An indicative measure is using two tablespoons three times a day with food. For instance, you can add them to salad dressings or protein shakes.
Finally, it is not recommended to use these oils for cooking, since EFA’s are delicate substances, and exposing them to heat disrupts their structure, thus eliminating their benefits, and even worse, generating trans-fatty acids. If one must be used, olive oil and sunflower seed oil are the best options.
More information about EFA’s and their supplementation can be found in the article “Top 10 Supplements For Bulking” by Big Cat, the article “The Lowdown On EFA's!” by Mike Hajoway, and in the “Supplements” section of Muscle 101 site.
Fat includes Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s), which are polyunsaturated fats that cannot be synthesized by the body on its own, and thus they must be ingested in the diet. However, during fat loss periods (which are often driven by extremely low fat diets), getting the needed amount of EFA’s through diet can be hard. In these situations, supplementing with EFA’s can make sense. According to this, this post ends up the series related to the foundation supplements for the bodybuilder providing information about good sources of EFA’s and some useful pointers for their supplementation.
There are two types of EFA’s: Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega-3). The best sources for Linoleic Acid are safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, flax seeds and flax seed oil, canola oil, corn oil, hemp oil, olive oil, soybean and soybean oil, fresh deepwater fish (especially salmon, tuna, and trout) and fish oils, nuts (especially peanuts and walnuts), pumpkin seeds, and avocados. Most of them are also rich in monounsaturated fats. Some of them (i.e. fresh deepwater fish, flax seeds and flax seed oil, hemp oil, canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds) are also sources of Alpha-Linolenic Acid, especially flax seeds and flax seed oil, which have a good balance of both EFA’s.
Adding some of these sources to your diet should be enough to get all the required EFA’s. As a rule of thumb, 5-6 grams of Linoleic Acid and 2-3 grams of Alpha-Linolenic Acid are recommended per day. As Linoleic Acid is more usual in food sources than Alpha-Linolenic Acid, additional supplements are typically not needed when following a proper nutrition. Supplementing Alpha-Linolenic Acid can be needed during fat loss periods. Using a fresh source of EFA’s is highly recommended. Go for capsules or pills only if you cannot tolerate the taste of liquid forms. An indicative measure is using two tablespoons three times a day with food. For instance, you can add them to salad dressings or protein shakes.
Finally, it is not recommended to use these oils for cooking, since EFA’s are delicate substances, and exposing them to heat disrupts their structure, thus eliminating their benefits, and even worse, generating trans-fatty acids. If one must be used, olive oil and sunflower seed oil are the best options.
More information about EFA’s and their supplementation can be found in the article “Top 10 Supplements For Bulking” by Big Cat, the article “The Lowdown On EFA's!” by Mike Hajoway, and in the “Supplements” section of Muscle 101 site.
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