Fat Requirements

From an exercise standpoint, there is little reason to believe that increasing fat consumption results in improving athletic performance, unless the increase in fat intake is the only reasonable means for the athlete to obtain sufficient energy. For the athlete who needs more than 4,000 calories each day to meet the combined demands of growth, exercise, and maintenance, moderate increases in dietary fat (preferably from plant and fish sources) may be needed. Since fat is a more concentrated form of energy than either carbohydrate or protein, more energy can be consumed in a smaller food package if the foods contain more fat. If an athlete tries to restrict fat completely, so much food needs to be consumed that it may be impossible to schedule enough meals or enough time during meals to consume the needed energy, leading to an inadequate energy consumption.