F-A-T-S.Yeah, it’s a four-letter word,

but — as you’re about to see — the right kinds of fats actually do a body(builder) good. Whether your goal is getting huge or getting shredded, fats can be your ally. You just have to know which ones to eat, which ones to avoid, how much to eat and the best times to eat them. So put away your fears and get the full skinny on fats, your new BFFs.

Good FatsPolyunsaturated Fats

What: Fats that have more than one double-bonded carbon in the molecule. Polyunsaturated fats stay liquid at room temperature and when chilled. They also include the essential fatty acids that the body needs but can’t produce, namely omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Sources

Salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, white tuna, flaxseeds and walnuts, plus safflower, corn, canola, soybean and fish oils

Benefits

1- Fights the breakdown of muscle tissue2- Conserves branched-chain amino acids3- Offers anti-inflammatory properties(reduces muscle soreness, enhances joint recovery)4- Enhances fat loss (shown to be true of omega-3s)

The Skinny

“I use polyunsaturated fats to combat muscle-tissue inflammation and breakdown by making sure my athleteseat at least one ounce of seeds a day andconsume at least one fish meal a day,” nutritionist and trainer Neil Hill says. “I also add a teaspoon of omega 3-6-9 oils in supplement form for each meal.”

FAT FACTSWhat is fat?

Along with protein and carbohydrates, fats (also called lipids) supply energy to the body. All fats and oils are a combination of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and are found in beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds.

Fat and calories

A calorie is a unit of food energy — it tells us how much energy (or heat) a food provides to the body. One gram of most fats contains approximately nine calories, compared to fourgrams in an equal amount of protein and carbs, making fat the most concentrated form of energy available. This is why it was thought that you had to drop almost all fat from yourdiet to lose bodyfat and one of the major reasons fat was demonized. It’s also the reason why you can eat a moderate amount of fat, but you still shouldn’t overdo it.

Getting fat on fat

It’s a common misconception that eating fat makes you fat. The fact is, you can get fat on anything if you eat too much of it, because the surplus calories will be stored as fat.Excess carbs can also interfere with the body’s ability to use stored fat for fuel by spiking insulin levels, inhibiting the production of fat-burning enzymes and enhancing fat storage.

Cholesterol

A soft, waxy substance found among the lipids in the bloodstream and in all the body’s cells. Cholesterol is crucial for health, as it’s important for maintaining cell membrane integrity, fighting infections and repairing injuries. It is also necessary for the production of hormones, such as testosterone, the androgen hormone that plays a key role in protein synthesis and muscle building. In fact, research confirms that those following a weight-training program and consuming a higher-cholesterol diet, gain more muscle size and strength thanthose eating a low-cholesterol diet.

 Good FatsMonounsaturated FatsWhat

Fats that have one double-bonded (unsaturated) carbon in the molecule. Typically liquid at room temperature, but start to turn solid when chilled.

Benefits

1- High in vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin2- Reduces LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels in blood3- Research from the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) shows that exercise helps to increase the burning of monounsaturated fats after meals, rather than allowing it to be stored as bodyfat4- Studies also reveal that subjects who simply increase their monounsaturated fat intake lose weight without decreasing calories

The Skinny

Focus on including olive oil as either a salad dressing or as a cooking spray for scrambled eggs. Bodybuilders used to favor near-zero-calorie cooking spray not only for posing oil,but also for preparing all their meals, because they thought they had to drop all fats from their diets. Now, you know better — cooking with olive oil can enhance both your health and your physique.

SourcesOlive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, peanuts, almonds, macadamias, pecans, cashews, avocados, peanut butter,almond butter and pumpkin seedsSaturated FatsWhat

Fats with carbon atoms that are saturated with hydrogen atoms. Typically solid at room temperature.The American Heart Association gives saturated fats the thumbs down, but cutting-edge research suggests that this negative opinion could be wrong. Research shows that stearic acid, the major saturated fat in the beef and chicken eat, does not raise LDL cholesterol. The same can be said about palmitic acid found primarily in dairy foods — when linoleic acid (omega-6 fats) levels are also adequate. In fact, when carbohydrates are reduced in the diet and saturated fat intake is increased, levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol) increase. Saturated fats got a bad rap because of their ability to increasecholesterol levels when carbohydrates and total calories are in excess.

Benefits

1- Elevates testosterone production2- Red meat, in particular, has ample amounts of creatine3- Bone health4- Essential for healthy cell membranes5- Needed for proper utilization of fatty acids

The Skinny

“I keep red meat in the precontest diet because the saturated fat keeps testosterone levels high,” says IFBB Pro League bodybuilder and trainer/nutritionist George Farah. “I also use it in the carb-depleting and loading phase to keep calories from dropping too far, because this could result in loss of energy and cannibalizing of lean muscle tissue.”

SourcesBeef, poultry, pork, dairy products made with whole or reduced-fat milk, cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil

The Bad FatsTrans FatsWhat

Fats that are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. This provides them a more stable shelf life, which is one of the major reasons they are used in the restaurant and food industry. They are also known as partially hydrogenated oils.

The Bad News

1- Raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol2- Reduces muscles’ amino acid uptake3- Increases muscle breakdown

The Skinny

“Read labels carefully and steer clear of products containing the words ‘trans fats’ or ‘partially hydrogenated oils,’” Hill says. “Even if the label says ‘zero grams trans fats,’ the [Federal Drug Administration] allows up to 0.5 g per serving. Depending on how many servings you eat, you could be getting a lot more trans fats than you thought you were.”

SourcesFried food, pastries, cookies, crackers, chips, biscuits, hydrogenated oilsFat To Get Ripped

When you’re trying to get peeled for the stage, you’d think fats would be one of the first things to cross off your diet, but you’d be off the mark. “Fats slow digestion to keep bloodsugar levels stable, providing a greater and longerlasting feeling of satiety, which means you’ll be less likely to splurge or cheat between meals,” Hill explains. Here are a few more advantages to keeping healthy fats in the diet.

1- Strong antioxidant propertieskeep the immune system functioningproperly2- Fats are a great source of energyand should be consumed throughoutthe day3- Fats slow absorption of protein,providing a steady stream ofamino acids trickling intothe muscles

Fat To Get Big

You have to eat enough food to get big, and healthy fats can make getting everything you need easier. “With twice the amount of calories as protein and carbs, they provideplenty of energy to fuel training and spare amino acids from being used as a source of energy,” Hill says. Here are two more reasons to keep healthy fats in your diet.

1- They are especially helpful forhardgainers, who typically havetrouble consuming enoughcalories to spur muscle growth.2- Saturated fat, in particular,promotes testosteroneproduction, keeping the body inan anabolic state.

The Bottom LineTotal dietary fat should come to about 30% (10% saturated fat,10% monounsaturated fat, 10% polyunsaturated fat) of your total daily calories,which will come to close ½ gram of fat per pound of bodyweight.