Nutrition Tip of the Week: Hydrogenated Fats

As we’ve discussed in previous weeks, there are many food additives that make their way into our foods that are not exactly conducive to the human body.  Many of these come in the form of hydrogenated fats, aka trans-fat.  Hydrogenated fats are unsaturated fats that are turned into saturated fat through the hydrogenation process.   Although saturated fat has gotten a bad rep in the past it is not as damaging as people have once thought.  However, when converting unsaturated fats into saturated fat the process develops unnatural trans-fat which can lead to a whole heap of health problems as they are a precursor in the inflammation process.  This is bad because we now know that chronic inflammation in the body is the predecessor to most modern-day non-communicable diseases.  Below is a list of Hydrogenated Fats that are often found in foods that you would be wise to stay away from.

  • Canola Oil
  • Corn oil
  • Soybean Oil
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Peanut Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Cotton Seed Oil
  • Grapeseed Oil
  • Margarine

 

Article Review: Intermittent Fasting

There are many fad diets/foods that claim to help people lose weight, gain muscle mass, decrease fat, reset metabolism, etc. While these claims sound great, they are often too good to be true. A magic pill, fad exercise programs, or fad diets may end in quick little results, but don’t last very long. For example, a simple goal of decreasing fat, if not done correctly, may lead to a loss in muscle mass if someone is not eating or exercising properly.  Though the scale may go down, it is both fat and lean mass that is lost.  This is not ideal for the goals that are established.   While there is a lot of misleading information regarding nutritional strategies, it would seem that the approach of intermittent fasting may be an avenue for men who are interested in decreasing their fat mass while maintaining their muscle mass and strength, along with other benefits.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is voluntary abstinence from food for a period of time (Moro et. al. 2016). This is unlike calorie restriction or starving. Calorie restriction is a chronic reduction in calories likely resulting in nutrient deficiencies whereas starving is an involuntary (or voluntary) absence of food that can result in death. While calorie restriction has obvious adverse effects on health, IF has been found to have advantageous health effects.

In a study utilizing resistance-trained males who had trained 3-5x/week for at least 3 years prior, researchers compared the results of a 16/8 fasting regimen with that of a typical diet (Moro et. al., 2016). The males in the IF group had a nutritional schedule where in a 24-hour period they would fast for 16 hours followed by an 8-hour eating window in which they consumed their daily calories at 1 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm.  Male “normal” diet participants ate at more typical times: 8 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm.  Both groups had the same workout program of 3x/week with caloric intake based on their energy needs.

The findings of the study showed that the IF group decreased fat mass unlike the normal diet group, maintained muscle mass, and decreased inflammation markers even with a decrease in testosterone and insulin-like growth factor (Moro et. al., 2016). Metabolic advantages were seen through a decrease in blood glucose and insulin levels.

This suggests that IF can improve body composition, decrease inflammation, and improve metabolism without affecting muscle mass or strength. It can be advantageous for men who are looking to get lean, but don’t want to sacrifice their strength and muscle mass, especially since the above participants had these results with only a 3x/week workout regimen.  Male athletes could possibly benefit from IF as well during certain phases of their yearly training cycle.  For instance, IF could be beneficial during their maintenance phase as they could possibly decrease body fat while preserving muscle mass and strength. While male bodybuilders have their own strict regimen for decreasing fat mass, IF may be another viable option.

In the end, IF is a possible diamond in the rough when it comes to nutritional implementation strategies.  Previous research has shown its benefits in sedentary populations, but the aforementioned research is the first to look at its benefits within a resistance trained/active population.  Although more research is always needed, it would seem that the future is promising for IF practitioners, both active and sedentary.

Article Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27737674/