HEALTH REPORT
MCTs Mighty
W hat are medium chain triglycerides (MCTs)? And could they help you to achieve your health and fitness goals? Over the past decade, MCT oil has become extremely popular with people who are looking to build muscle and stay lean. It has many benefits, including increasing energy, maintaining a feeling of fullness for longer, boosting metabolism, helping to burn calories and fat, stabilising blood sugar levels between meals, aiding recovery and weight loss while maintaining muscle mass. Key advantages Boosts metabolism: The ‘medium chain’ in MCT refers to the length of the chain of fatty acids in a fat or oil. About 60- 65 percent of coconut oil is MCT and it metabolises much more quickly and quite differently to the long chain triglycerides
(LCTs) found in processed foods, vegetable and soy oils. MCTs are sent directly to the liver, where they are almost entirely burned for fuel. Many Pacific Island populations traditionally eat diets where upwards of 50 percent of their calories come from coconut fat, and these people remain lean and muscular into old age. Encourages ketosis: This is an important and natural fat-burning metabolic state in which there is a high concentration of ketones in the blood. Ketone production occurs when fat provides most of the fuel for the body, rather than glucose from carbohydrates. A ketogenic diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that can help with weight loss - this type of diet immediately removes foods such as grains, sweets and soft drinks and also limits legumes, potatoes and all fruit. On a ketogenic diet, fatty acid stores are released from body fat stores before being transported to the liver where they form ketones and provide energy. MCTs go
directly to the liver where they are also converted into ketones, which means they can help the body get to ketosis faster because they will not be stored as body fat. Quickly digested and absorbed: MCT oil is so easy to digest, it is often included in infant formula and given to people with digestive problems. A post-workout shake or smoothie containing MCT oil may help prevent muscle catabolism (break down), improve protein synthesis and reduce recovery time. Regulates insulin: Insulin regulates blood glucose (or sugar) levels. For a long time, body builders thought fats should be avoided post-workout. However, MCT oil benefits those looking to build muscle by increasing the insulin spike created by a post-workout meal, and in turn improving muscle building. MCTs may also help to slow the build-up of lactate levels which can occur during exercise, as well as encouraging the body to use more fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.
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ISSUE 61 • 2021
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