By Michelle Hanson MS, RD, LD

Athletes often find it hard to determine the correct balance of foods and food types to consume to maximize performance. There are so many food myths and diets out there today that it is often hard to sort fact from fiction. Trends such as low carbohydrate, low fat, and high protein have been some of the many recent ones. In reality the best diet an athlete can consume is a balanced diet that provides all of the key macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbs) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). There are many approaches to consuming different ratios of macronutrients such as: 60% carb, 20% fat, and 20% protein for individuals participating in endurance sports (such as marathon or Ironman triathlon), or 40% carb, 30% fat, 30% protein for individuals trying to achieve a leaner body composition. While determining the correct ratio for your fitness goals is critical so is determining the correct foods to consume within each macronutrient. The focus of this article will be on the macronutrient known as fat and new emerging trends and research in fat.

For a long time fat was avoided in the diet. It was thought that dietary fat would ultimately equate to excess body fat. It has long since been shown that dietary fat is a critical part of the daily diet for a healthy functioning body, especially for an athlete who puts increased stresses on his/herself. Fat is essential for such functions as: maintaining cell membranes that make up every component of our bodies, production of sex hormones, carrying fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), and protecting components on the human body as cushion and insulation.

There are many different types of fats. Their names are reflective of their chemical structures. There are saturated fats, in which all the carbons on the fatty acid chain are linked to a hydrogen (or “saturated”) with no double bonds between carbons. Saturated fats come from animal sources and are solid at room temperature, such as: the fat found in animal meat and butter. They are also found in palm and coconut oils. Then there are unsaturated fats, which do not have hydrogen’s linked to every carbon, and are therefore “unsaturated.” Within the unsaturated fat category there lies: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated (MUFA) fats contain only one double bond and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats contain multiple double bonds between carbons. Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are from plant sources. MUFA’s are found in olive oil, peanuts, almonds, peanut oil, and avocados. PUFA’s are found in vegetable oils, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and most nuts. There are also two types of PUFA’s that are considered “essential fatty acids” because our body cannot make them and must consume them through dietary sources. They are known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. A final type of fat is called a trans-fatty acid. A trans-fat is a fat that is man-made through a process known as hydrogenation. An unsaturated fat is pumped with hydrogen atoms to create a more shelf-stable, solid fat. That is why trans-fats are often found in processed food items.

For years, dietitians have placed an emphasis on consuming unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fats have been shown to have many more health benefits such as: lower cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Also, they are often a good source of vitamin E. On the flip side, saturated fats have been shown to be more detrimental to one’s health status by increasing cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Well, there is one particular type of saturated fat that has received an unwarranted bad reputation with the rest of its relatives. What is that? Coconut oil.

Studies on pacific islanders have revealed that the natives consistently have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases (including diabetes). The islanders consume a "high-fat" diet consisting of 35-65% of their calories coming from fat, so why are they consistently reporting such good health statistics? Researchers finally made the correlation that their diet is based largely on coconut and coconut oil. The researchers found that once the islanders migrated to the United States their health status changed dramatically despite eating a lower fat diet. It was at this time that scientists began investigating coconut further and trying to determine exactly what in the fat makes it so beneficial for human consumption.

Coconut oil has been a more recently marketed oil in the past couple years and is becoming more and more popular among health connoisseurs and athletes alike. So what makes coconut oil such a beneficial fat to consume? It is the actual length of the carbon chain on the fatty acid. Coconut oil is made up of what is called medium-chain fatty acids or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s). Other types of fat are either categorized as long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) or short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). LCFA and SCFA are found in both saturated and unsaturated fats in meats, eggs, dairy products, and plant products. The length of the actual chain is important because the body metabolizes each form differently. MCT’s are digested more quickly and easier to metabolize and therefore have been shown to actually help increase individuals metabolic rate. In fact, patients that suffer from severe malnutrition (like AIDS patients) are often treated with MCT's to enhance their nutrient absorption rates.

MCT's in coconut oil have also been shown to be successful in those looking to lose weight when added to their current weight loss regime. As previously mentioned it helps boost an individuals metabolism, but it also is not stored in adipose tissue like others fats and are instead oxidized into acetic acid. It can then be used by the body as a source of energy. Another notable fact about coconut oil is that it contains less calories per gram. All other fats contain 9 kcal/gram where coconut oil contains 8.25 kcal/gram. It is this information that has led many people to use coconut oil as part of their weight loss diet.

Lauric acid (a MCT) is the fatty acid that makes up about 50% of the fat in coconut oil. It has been shown to have a very powerful antimicrobial and antibacterial affect in the body. Essentially they can act as natural antibiotics. Research by Bruce Fife, N.D. found that coconut oil could kill bacteria that caused throat infections, pneumonia, and sinusitis. People are often leery of antibiotics due to their ability to not only kill the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria found in our gastrointestinal tract. Fife found in his research that coconut oil has no such effect on GI bacteria.

More research needs to be done on whether coconut oil is a definitive anti inflammatory agent in humans, but current research is looking very positive. Research at Payap University in Thailand has found anti-inflammatory effects in lab animals and has made positive correlations towards human effects as well. Coconut oil has been found to be beneficial in many inflammatory disease states, such as diabetes. The mechanism that allows this to happen is coconut oil helps improve insulin secretion which in turn increases utilization of blood glucose, allowing diabetics to have more control over their blood glucose levels and prevent huge spikes in sugar levels.

In summary coconut oil may be a very good addition to your diet, especially if you are an athlete. Promoting lean body mass, acting as an antimicrobial, increase metabolic rate, and reducing inflammation all our benefits that athletes are looking for to stay healthy and maximize their performance. Dr. Jonny Bowden Ph.D. included coconut oil on his top 10 "super foods." The list included: oatmeal, guava, raw organic milk, eggs, blueberries, spinach, sardines, kale, whey protein powder, free range beef, apples, wild salmon, turmeric, nuts, avocado, green tea, and coconut oil. So why not give it a try and see how it impacts your daily life and possibly your race day outcome?