Is Fat the Runner’s Best Fuel?

We’re all used to watching marathons on television featuring small, skinny people move quickly over long periods of time. We might be jealous of their ability to eat a lot and still lose weight, but there is something to the low-fat look of many runners: fat is often an effective fuel for easy to moderate exercise. But is it the best fuel for runners, or are carbohydrates far more effective? Let’s take a closer look.

Difference in Intensity

The simple fact is that the body will burn carbohydrates at higher-intensity rates of exercise, and burn fat when the intensity is lower. If you plan on running sprints, carbohydrates are your fuel, no doubt.

The problem with carbohydrates is that they burn up quickly in the body and aren’t stored in heavy amounts, as opposed to fat, which always seems to be handy unless you’re ultrathin. Some studies have suggested that including more fat in your diet can help you build endurance, although it won’t necessarily fuel you for faster sprints and more impressive times.

But can you become better at running fast simply by eating more carbohydrates? The famous “carbo-loading” diet of people who plan to undergo high-intensity exercise can indeed be effective, as it maximizes the amount of carbohydrates stored in your system. Ultimately, you will only be able to optimize your diet to a certain point before your improvements will come from good, old-fashioned hard work.

Should You Eat More Fat?

Being able to run longer is an appealing idea to the runner, who’s always looking to improve their skills and abilities. However, the benefits to eating more fat might not fit you, depending on your goals. If you’re running to lose weight, for example, you’ll want your body to burn already-present fat in your system so that you slim down and trim up. If you want to lose weight, ultimately you’ll need to have a calorie deficit.

Also, eating more fat doesn’t mean you can ditch the celery and head to McDonald’s every night. There are healthy fats like olive oil that won’t do the damage to your heart of more saturated fat-rich foods. Burning off plenty of calories during running can make it tempting to eat a lot of bad food, but don’t make saturated fats a staple of your diet. You can indulge every once in a while.

Photo Credits: alexik

Originally posted 2009-09-10 03:44:50.

This post involves:

calorie deficit, carbo loading, celery, closer look, diet, ditch, endurance, fats, high intensity, improvements, intensity exercise, long periods of time, marathons, mcdonald, moderate exercise, no doubt, runners, running to lose weight, simple fact, skills and abilities

... and focuses on:

Running

Posted by Bike Swim Run on January 12, 2010 in Running. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.