Many people think that well-developed muscles are evidence of physical fitness. Firm, toned muscles are considered esthetically pleasing, and hundreds of thousands of people spend untold hours to appear “muscular.” Their appearance notwithstanding, muscles are specialized tissues that contract to produce body movement.
In contrast, fat is the body’s richest source of food energy. Unlike glycogen, fat is stored in the fat cells and, therefore, is less readily available for energy production. In order for fat to be used as an energy source, it first must be broken down into fatty acids, which are then transported by the blood to the muscles to be burned.
Intense exercise on a regular basis can induce muscle fatigue, and it is widely recognized that carbohydrates are an essential factor in preventing muscle fatigue. Many carbohydrates, especially refined sugars, are not an ideal source of immediate energy needed to maintain an exercise regimen. Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), however, are an energy source that can help athletes develop stamina and endurance.
MCTs are unique because, in the presence of carbohydrates, they can be turned into energy inside the mitochondria, the powerhouses of energy production in the cell. Conventional fats can be burned only after the carbohydrate reservoir of the cell has been depleted. This has important implications in that the burning of MCTs in the presence of carbohydrates spares glycogen and, hence, production of ketones. Both prolong endurance for training and stamina.
MCTs are digested immediately after ingestion as they are hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase, which is present in the saliva. Additionally, energy released by the digestion and metabolism of MCTs is converted in the body into heat by a process called thermogenesis, which favorably affects the basal rate of metabolism. When the body converts energy into heat, metabolism increases, and that, in turn, leads to fat loss.
<p style="\\"margin:" 0px="" 1.618em;="" padding:="" 0px;="" border:="" font-size:="" 14px;="" vertical-align:="" baseline;="" orphans:="" 3;="" widows:="" color:="" rgb(129,="" 129,="" 129);="" font-family:="" helvetica,="" arial,="" sans-serif;="" line-height:="" 22.6520004272461px;\\"=""> In short, MCTs are known as “carbo-lipid” for good reason, since they prevent muscle loss and increase lean body mass. MCTs, therefore are a nutrient with great value for those involved in endurance training and the “body culture.”