Table of Contents:

[ Health / Dietary / Liquid ]
[ Carbohydrate / Fat / Protein ]
[ Vitamin / References ]

What are the effects of fat intake on athletic performance?
In highly trained athletes the total fat stored in the adipose tissue is 5% to 15% in males and 10% to 25% in females (Brouns, 1993). Total fat intake is likely to be higher in athletes (such as linemen football players) who consume high levels of energy (more than 4000 kcal) in order to maintain muscle mass, and other student athletes than among the general population (Wolinsky, 1997).

Team sports. A football player who weighs 100 kg (220lb) and 10% fat has about 66,000 k/cal of stored fat energy to fuel him for days of moderate to intense training. Since fat is transported and oxidized slowly by active muscle its contribution to energy production during exercise is limited (Murray and Horswill, 1997).

According to Murray and Horswill (1997), during short duration high intensity sports , fatty acid oxidation provides energy for cellular functions and muscle contraction. Athletes can benefit from fat oxidation during low intensity phases of interval training.

Long duration moderate intensity sports. Fat metabolism as an energy source increases as exercise intensity decreases. During ultra-endurance exercises fat metabolism becomes the principal source of energy (Murray and Horswill, 1997).

What are the fat requirements of student athletes?
In most normal circumstances fat provides a secondary source of energy for student athletes. The importance of fat as a source of energy depends on the duration and intensity of the activity added to the availability of CHO (Brouns, 1993). Fat is stored in the body in fat cells as triglycerides. Most of the fat cells are found under the skin, and around the internal organs (Brouns, 1993). Body fat values (indexes) for athletes range from 5% to 12 in men and 10% to 20% in women and vary between sports and positions in the specific sports (Position of the American Dietetic Association, 1989).