Udo's & Sports
Getting fit with fat!
Whilst Udo's Oil has long been known for its many general health benefits, it has more recently become popular amongst sports men and women to assist them in reaching their full sporting potential.
Good nutrition plays a key role in any sporting field and this entails feeding the body with:
- Fibrous Carbohydrates
- A good range of Protein sources
- Essential Fats
Getting Essential Fats into your body is often the missing link in many people's diets and can restrict athletic performance.
Foundation Fats
All of our diets contain fats - the typical daily intake of fats is between 75 and 125 grams. They are ingested into our bodies through the foods that we eat and the cooking oils that we use and are not always healthy and are often damaged through high levels of processing and the heat from cooking (which kills many of the good nutrients contained in the fats/oils). These fats form the base of the bodies fat intake - what we call the "Foundation" fats. Some people choose to supplement these with Fish Oils but typically this adds just 1-5 grams of fat per day. So for optimum health, fitness and athletic performance we need to ensure our foundation fats are as healthy as possible.
Two of the most important fats the body should be getting as part of its foundation are undamaged Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) and Linoleic Acid (LA). These cannot be produced by the body so are termed Essential. Other Fatty Acids like those found in fish oils (DHA and EPA) are not essential as the body is able to produce these if it has enough of the Essential Fatty Acids ALA and LA.
Why do I need Essential Fatty Acids?
Essential Fatty Acids provide your cells with the nutrition they need in order to function properly (See below for the "sciencey bit"!). Without them they do not operate as well as they could and this can affect overall health, muscle recovery, joint suppleness, energy, stamina and ultimately for the sports enthusiast, athletic performance.
By feeding your cells with Essential Fatty Acids (ALA and LA) you improve your body's core at the cellular level and this leaves you free to achieve the body you want for your particular sport. Knowing that it has had the nourishment it needs to provide power, flexibility, endurance, energy and overall health, your body will work with you attain your personal best.
I take fish oils - don't they contain Essential Fatty Acids?
NO - they don't ! There is some confusion about fish oils as they are marketed as Omega 3 oils just like Udo's Choice is a source of Omega 3, 6 and 9. However, Omega 3 refers to a family of fatty acids - DHA and EPA are the children and ALA is the parent - only ALA is "Essential" though due to the fact that the body can't produce it itself. Fish oils contain DHA and EPA and although potentially beneficial to a number of bodily functions they are not "Essential" as the body can produce these.
In order to function properly your body needs ALA and LA. These must be included in your diet and Udo's Choice provides the highest quality source of ALA and LA and in the optimum 2:1 ratio. To find out more about the ratio read our introduction under "About the Oil".
So make sure you include Udo's Oil in your daily diet to achieve your personal best in both health and athletic potential.
Won't fats make me fat ?!
Essential Fatty Acids will actually assist weight loss or if you are looking to build muscle will help you build lean muscle. Working again at the cellular level, Essentioal Fatty Acids lead to better fat burning and less fat storage.
Two independent research studies investigating the performance enhancing effect of Udo's Oil in Elite strength and endurance athletes found that Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil Blend lead to improved:
Endurance
- Athletes reported increased muscular endurance during strength training
- They also reported increased cardiovascular endurance and in a few cases, claimed they could run farther, faster and longer.
Strength & Power :
- Athletes reported increased explosive power, speed and intensity
- They reported increased lean body mass and thermogenesis
Recovery:
- During strength training they reported faster, more complete recovery between weightlifting sets and following workouts
- Less joint pain and tenderness
- Some athletes reported reduced inflammation and the accelarated healing of injuries.
Flexibility:
- Athletes reported improved flexibility with an increased range of motion
Energy:
- Athletes reported improved energy intensity and sustainability
The "Sciencey bit" behind the Results
Improved membrane regulation - the essential fatty acids (EFAs) will make your cell membranes better configured for transport of nutrients in and waste out. They do this by regulating the fluidity of the membrane, so that transport proteins can work correctly. Think of it like the gates in and out of a sports ground - if they are rusty and seized, then flow in and out is no good, but once they are well oiled, then movement is restored to its original optimum.
Improved fat metabolism - by activating certain pathways (known as PPAR ), EFAs change the way your genes are interpreted. This leads to better fat burning, and less fat storage. The fat burning is both from food in the diet, and from your body, so combined with the reduced storage, you are effectively tuning your body to use fat rather than hold on to it.
Improved hormone utilisation - in the same way as the EFAs improve nutrient flow, they also improve the way hormonal receptors will function, and also produce a class of hormone-like signalling molecules known as eicosanoids. These are used in anti-inflammatory roles throughout the body, and help with muscular recovery post exercise.
Improved membrane fluidity - one of the restricting factors in blood flow is the thickness of the blood. At the microscopic level, the way the blood cells can fold have an impact on this, and again the improved membrane fluidity achieved through EFAs will be of benefit. If it's easier for blood to squeeze down tiny capillaries to reach every cell in your muscles, your heart doesn't have to work as hard, and you will get more oxygen into your system. Oxygen will also have a better time getting in and out of the blood cells.
Improved nutrient release - attaining muscle mass requires positive nitrogen balance (i.e. available protein floating around in the blood), which requires a slow release/continuous supply of protein. An easy way to slow down the release of protein is to eat it with fat. The fat increases total gastric release time, however does not hinder the first release of protein. i.e. protein still enters your system at the same time as if taken without fat, but the rate of release is reduced, and the release time extended. The same is true for the energy from carbohydrates (though you should avoid taking simple, refined carbohydrates with fats), so combined you have better energy levels, and better protein supply if using EFAs at the same time. Taken post-workout (replacing simple carbs with a lower amount of complex ones) people experience better recovery with EFAs than they would get with a traditional fat-free PWO drink.
