Fitness coach Neil Teggart on how the right diet can make all the difference on the field

If you have been keeping up with us here at Gaelic Star you should now know the basics when it comes to carbs and proteins. In this month’s edition I want to get you up to speed with fats. You may think of fat as the stuff that gives you man boobs. Others may be thinking about the white stuff they trim off a chop at dinner time. In fact, fat plays a host of roles in the human body. To keep it simple I have jotted down a few of the main points for you to digest.

 

1 – Fats are denser in calories than the other large food groups. So much so that you could eat 100 grams of protein AND 100 gram of carbs and have less total calories than if you just consumed 100 grams of fat!

 

 

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

 

This is one of the main reasons that fats get such a bad press. It is really easy to eat too much fat and end up storing any excess as adipose (fat) tissue.

 

2 – While they all carry more calories than other macronutrients, a diet too low in fat can actually cause the body to hold onto fat – not good!

Our bodies are built for survival. When you drastically reduce the level of fat in your diet the body reacts by taking hold of any available fat it can. This is one reason why low fat, yo-yo diets can result in dramatic fat gain.

When you return to eating normally the body aims to store any extra fat just in case you decide to restrict your diet again.

 

3 – Not all fats are bad for you. You may have heard more and more recently about the benefits of omega fats. These ‘good fats’ can actually help you stay leaner and healthier. To carry on from the first point, if your body is receiving a good supply of these healthy fats it has no reason to hold on to body fat.

 

GOOD FATS TO INCLUDE – Oily fish, Nuts, Avocado, Flax oil

 

 Trans fats are bad fats. 

These hydrogenated fats can be found in fried food and heavily processed foods. These are foreign to the body and lead to all sorts of health problems. You should only be eating fried or processed foods as a one off. If you are a competitive player you should have your body running on top grade fuel – not junk! Even if you do not compete in sport you should minimise any trans fats in your diet.

 

 

 

 

FATS TO AVOID – Partially hydrogenated fats, Hydrogenated fats, Margarine, Fried foods

 

4 – After a training session it is best to keep fats away from your post workout meal. Eating simple carbs after training to replenish glycogen and repair muscle is very important for improving future performances.

An insulin spike can help shuttle nutrients such as glucose and protein to the muscles. If fat is present when the insulin is spiked there is a greater chance of fat being shuttled to fat cells to be stored as adipose tissue. Even taking good fats with sugars can increase the risk of fat storage.

 

5 – Low fat foods can seem like the ideal option. Be careful. Many companies label a product low fat and bump up the sugar content to retain taste. Make sure the low fat product you have on a regular basis isn’t loaded with sugar.

 

I hope I have dispelled a few of the myths surrounding this amazing substance.

To truly get to grips with every aspect of fat would require many more pages than I can work with here.

In summary, keep your foods as close to nature as possible. If a food is highly processed then it is best left out of your diet. If a food is close to its original packaging such as an egg or an avocado then it’s ok to have some in your diet.