Fat Utilization

Fat is one of the three general classes of energy sources ingested as food. As with the other
sources, carbohydrates and proteins, fat is processed by the body in the manner that makes it
most useful for energy production both immediately and in the longer term.
The term "fat" encompasses a number of subcategories of fats, each of which is utilized by the
body in different ways. The uses to which fats are directed within the body include: a source of
stored energy fuel; a vehicle by which important nutrients, such as the fat-soluble vitamins A, D,
and E are absorbed; and the production of certain cholesterols, known as high density
lipoproteins (LDLs), or "good cholesterol," which assist in the reduction of artery-clogging
compounds in the blood.
The stored fats within the body are an important source of energy. Fats are utilized by the body
in a manner complimentary to carbohydrate use for many functions. Carbohydrates are the
chief source of fuel for the energy required to propel the movements of the musculoskeletal
system during athletic activities; carbohydrates are also the exclusive source from which the
brain and central nervous system are supplied with their energy needs. When fats are first
digested in the intestine, they are converted for both ease of movement as well as storage into
fatty acids. When the amount of fatty acid in the bloodstream reaches a level that the body
senses create an imbalance, a mechanism is triggered whereby these fatty acids are essentially
captured by available adipose tissue, specialized fat storage cells located in various parts of the
body, with particular concentrations at the abdomen and buttocks. Adipose tissue is capable of
absorbing and indefinitely storing fatty acids.
The male and female anatomies are constructed differently with respect to adipose tissue
storage. The breasts, waist, hips, and buttocks are the primary adipose tissue locations on the
female body. Men generally have fat cell storage in the chest, abdomen, and buttocks. Both men
and women have internal adipose tissue located around the kidneys and the liver. The body also
has a limited intramuscular fatty cell storage capability. Contrary to the claims made by certain
elements of the weight-loss industry, "spot reducing," the notion that certain areas of adipose
tissue can be utilized to extract fat cells in priority to others, is without scientific foundation. The
body accesses its stores of fats for energy on a general, and not location-specific, basis. When the
energy requirements of the body exceed available energy stores, the body signals the release of
fat cells for energy conversion, irrespective of physical location.

Once a fat cell is released from adipose tissue storage to be converted into energy, the fat cell
will be reduced into its two constituent parts, glycerol, an energy component that is directed
through the bloodstream to the liver to be reprocessed into glucose, and fatty acids. The fatty
acids are transported to the mitochondria, the local powerhouse of the working muscle, where it
is used in the same fashion as available glucose, the carbohydrate energy product, to generate
adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the actual fuel consumed for energy.
Vitamins are essential to healthy human function. Vitamins that are water soluble are not stored
within the body. Each must be replenished on a daily basis through food consumption. A number
of vitamins are fat soluble, meaning that each requires the presence of fatty acids in the
digestive process as a medium for absorption into the body. Fat-soluble vitamins, which are
stored in the liver, include vitamins A and D (each essential to bone growth and general health),
vitamin E (a protective substance within the cardiovascular system), and vitamin K (a material
essential to blood clotting).
In contrast to the essential functions of fat as an energy source and medium for vitamin
absorption, other fats contained in the human diet are harmful to overall physical performance.
When the fat ingested is a saturated fat (such as those contained in animal products), it will be
digested and processed into a form that lends to the creation of low density lipoproteins (LDLs),
a fat-related structure that assists in the creation of plaque and other substances that clog and
narrow the vessels of the cardiovascular system. Narrow or constricted arteries do not function
correctly, and serious conditions such as high blood pressure and stroke are significant risks of
this condition. By contrast, various unsaturated fats (including a number of plant-based fats) will
precipitate the creation of high density lipoproteins (HDLs), which counter the action of LDLs,
reducing the buildup of plaque otherwise generated by saturated fat consumption.
Fat as a insulator is a much misunderstood and overplayed aspect of fat utilization in the body.
Fat is essential to human function, given its critical role in the absorption of vitamins and the
production of energy. Fat is not essential to insulate the body either in cold or heat; the
construction of the cardiovascular system and the presence of vessels near the skin surface
perform this function. A body fat percentage of between 5% and 15% is desirable in a lean
athletic male, depending on the physical demands of the sport. Physically fit women, by virtue of
their structure, would be similarly expected to possess a body fat percentage of between 7% to
20%.