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Fat is the least understood macro-ingredient in body building circles. Everyone knows how much protein they need , and most people get enough carbs, often to the exclusion of fat. In order to understand why and how we supplement essential fats, we must first understand why they are essential, and then look at the need to supplement them.
What is fat and what does it do?Fat is a rich source of calories (9/gram) which provides the body with energy. Fat is found in most foods that we eat, especially from animal sources. The body needs dietary fats to give it energy and allow for cell growth. Bodybuilding is all about cell growth, so this is very important. Fats keep the body warm, are necessary for digestion/absorption of various vitamins and minerals, and play a key role in various hormonal functions (including testosterone and gh). In short, you (just like everyone else in the world) need to eat fats. How many types of fat are there?There are four general types of fat: saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and trans-fat. Both types of unsaturated fat are now recognized almost universally as being beneficial. They are found in plant sources such as avocados, flax seed and olives, and in some animal sources such as fish (salmon and cod, etc). All commercial fatty acid supplements are unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are less healthful. They are usually solids at room temperature and come from animal sources almost exclusively. Meat and dairy products have saturated fats. Many studies have linked saturated fat consumption to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. While these are typically in individuals who are either genetically inclined to these illnesses or are sedentary (or both), it should still be taken into consideration when planning one's diet. Trans fats are terrible for the body. They are created unnaturally and should be avoided. Discussing the evils of trans fats is beyond the scope of this article. But wait, shouldn't I be cutting fats from my diet?Only if your diet is based upon fast food and processed garbage. Most bodybuilders don't get enough fat. Fat is usually the first calorie source eliminated from a cutting diet. This is unfortunate because it wreaks havoc on the bodies digestive and endocrine (hormone regulating) systems. Since fat has more calories than carbs or proteins people usually like to take it out. At one time, bodybuilding circles were well aware of the benefits of fat consumption. The illustrious trainer Vince Gironda put his disciples on high fat, high protein, low carb diets. They consumed lots of dairy and meat, especially organ meat. While many people have challenged these ideas, they were often ironically practicing what Gironda was preaching. Arnold Schwarzenegger's diets consisted of whole eggs, hamburger patties and cottage cheese for two-three meals per day, all of these being high fat foods. Most bodybuilders eat far too many carbs and not enough fat. The body doesn't need so many carbs- after all, it just gets converted to sugar and either burnt within half an hour or stored. I have seen guys think that pouring baby sugar (pure dextrose) into their post workout shakes, then twenty minutes later eat two baked potatoes thinking that this will make them "anabolic". It won't, it will just make you fat. After all, didn't we just learn that it is fat that produces more testosterone? High fat diets are much more anabolic than high carb/low fat diets. How and why should I supplement essential fatty acids?It is quite possible to eat enough fatty acids in a balanced diet. But for many people these is one thing lacking, omega fats. These are found most commonly in salmon and flax seeds. For many people, these foods are either too expensive or too inconvenient. So purchasing supplemental pills will make a big difference (any reputable company probably makes a perfectly good option). Taking one cap of flax seed oil and one cap of fish oil with three to four meals per day should probably do it. Also, side benefits of supplementing this is increased memory and cognizance. I know an elderly person whose short term memory improved noticeably when supplementing fish oil pills. Also, some studies have shown people who added flax seed oil pills to their diets lost body fat. While this seems counter-intuitive, think of it this way- if your body isn't getting all the resources that it needs (ie, essential fatty acids) it will probably not function properly and do things that you don't want, such as storing additional body fat.
I personally eat a lot of EFA's in my diet naturally. I eat a lot of salmon and other fish, as well as only cooking with olive oil. I also like to put ground flax seed onto my food to give it a sort of nutty taste. I keep ON's flax seed oil supplements in my home and eat them fairly regularly just to be sure that I am getting enough. Since my job is very mentally demanding, I also take fish oil pills when I feel strained or like I am forgetting things. Basically, essential fatty acids are called essential for a reason. The body needs them for a number of purposes and there is no way of getting around eating them (unless you want to walk around like a malnourished zombie with hormonal problems). For those specific fatty acids which are difficult to consume in foods, there are a number of inexpensive and effective supplements available on this site. There is no reason or excuse not to take advantage of them.  Beverly International EFA Gold, 90 Softgels Essential Oil Blend of Three Rich Sources of Essential Fatty Acids! Learn More
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