Part 1: Carbs vs Fat
This month we will be going through everything you need to know on how to set up a nutrition plan. Starting with the common question, “Should I be eating carbohydrates if my goal is to reduce fat”?
To answer this question, we need to look at both sides of the equation. Carbs vs Fats, which option is better for fat loss?
Now when you take dietary fats for instance, butter or olive oil and you consume it you don’t see it in your bloodstream. That butter or olive oil has to go through the digestive process to ultimately turn into free fatty acids (FFA). Then those FFA will then go through the same serious of biochemical reactions to give you ATP.
(Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) – Organic chemical that provides energy to support processes within living cells- e.g., muscle contraction, nerve impulses, synthesis of hormones etc. Often referred to as the bioenergetic currency of life.)
Dietary fat is not just a source of energy it is also a very important source of nutrients and vitamins. Which is extremely important for the production of hormones and other processes in the body. If you were to slash dietary fat out of your nutrition completely, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of health complications down the road. When you take away dietary fats, your body also has carbohydrates as another fuel source, that your body will use in order to fuel energy production.
Carbohydrates are stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen. A very similar process occurs when in response to the body needing energy, your body takes those stored carbohydrates and breaks them down into glucose. The glucose than turns into pyruvate which then goes through a similar process to turn into Acetyl CoA, which will be the very same Acetyl CoA that the FFA turns into to become ATP.
In the end it doesn’t matter if your body gets carbohydrates from stored tissue (Muscle glycogen or liver glycogen) or from lollies or bread. All that matters is that it ultimately becomes Acetyl CoA for it to than become ATP.
The important thing to take away from this article is to realise that it doesn’t matter where your body gets the fuel source from. Fat or carbohydrates doesn’t matter, it’s all going to be converted into the same thing. What will make a difference are things like appetite control, micronutrients, digestion etc. These things are influenced by carbohydrates vs fat.
When it comes to setting up a nutrition plan the macronutrients (Carbs, fats, protein) ratio doesn’t matter that much. Assuming you’re getting your base needs of dietary fat to fuel vitamins, minerals and daily energy functions, and assuming you have enough carbohydrates to fuel your performance in and out of the gym. It all turns into the exact same thing, whether if it’s high carbohydrates, low fats, or high fat with low carbohydrates. It all comes down to compliance and what you can stick to long term.
