Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

recommendations are expressed in terms of percentage of total calories consumed daily. For climbers, 15 to 30 percent of total calories should come from fat, depending on your climbing preference.
    For cragging and bouldering, where a low percentage of body fat is desirable and the energy demands are largely anaerobic, fat intake should be restricted to 15 to 20 percent of total calories consumed. Alpine climbers, however, may be better off consuming up to 30 percent of daily calories from fat. These endurance climbers place great demands on the larger muscles of the body (especially the legs) and expend much more energy per day than, say, sport climbers. Fat is more calorie-dense than carbohydrate and protein (see table 9.1), and it’s a good fuel for long, slow aerobic activities. Both these attributes make foods with a higher fat content more advantageous for alpine climbers than for crag climbers.
FOUR TYPES OF FATS
     
    In consuming your daily requirement of fat, it’s important to know which of the four types of fat—saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids—are “good” and “bad.” Although each contains the same nine calories per gram consumed, they are not all created equal in terms of their role in performance nutrition. Consequently, it’s important not only to eat the optimal amount of fat but also to have the best ratio among the different types of fatty acids.
    • Saturated fats are most common in animal products such as milk and dairy, meats, and poultry. They are also present in significant amounts in some nuts, including Brazil and macadamia. Although excessive saturated fat intake does increase serum cholesterol, in particular the LDL or “bad” cholesterol, a certain amount is needed by our bodies to be made into fatty-acid-containing compounds such as hormones and phospholipids.
    • Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in vegetables and oils including canola, olive, peanut, and avocado. These “monos” are thought to be the most beneficial in protecting against heart disease because of their ability to lower LDL without reducing HDL (the “good” cholesterol).
    • Polyunsaturated fatty acids are common in fish, especially tuna, mackerel, salmon, and trout, and in corn, sunflower, and soybean oils. The omega-3 “polys” found mainly in fish and flaxseeds are currently being investigated for their roles in fighting inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and other illnesses, including migraine headaches and heart disease.
    • Trans fatty acids are found in trace amounts in almost all sources of natural fats, but most of those in our diet come from hydrogenated oils. During the process of hydrogenation, liquid vegetable oils are converted into solids by bombardment with hydrogen atoms (as in the making of margarine and shortening). Hydrogenation in effect converts unsaturated fatty acids into saturated fatty acids largely through the formation of trans bonds. Recent studies have raised concerns about these bonds, because they produce effects similar to those of saturated fats and may, in fact, be cancer causing.
     
    While most well-trained athletes have a very healthy cholesterol profile (unless they smoke or have a genetic predisposition to problems), it would be wise to limit your intake of trans fatty acids. Unfortunately, hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils are found in such a wide range of foods that they are hard to avoid. For instance, many of the breads, cookies, and snack foods you buy off the shelf at the grocery store contain high amounts of these harmful oils. (Read the labels—you’ll be surprised how many foods you eat daily contain them!) Most commercial fried foods are cooked in oils that contain trans fatty acids. Surprisingly, even some health foods and energy bars contain partially hydrogenated oils.
    In terms of fat consumption, the best approach is to consume about equal amounts of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids and minimize intake of trans fatty acids. Try to eliminate hydrogenated oils from your diet, and in doing so you will reduce your consumption of these unhealthy fats to acceptable levels. (Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to escape them completely in this world of highly processed and prepackaged foods.)
    Examine the labels of the foods you eat most regularly and determine which items are doing you the most nutritional damage. Chances are you can make huge strides by