Bodybuilding & Coconut Oil
Many bodybuilders use coconut oil in their daily diets. Coconut oil has many positive effects and is often used during the bodybuilder's "cutting cycle," when they are dieting to get as lean as possible for competition.
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Identification
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Coconut oil is extracted from coconuts and is available in your local health food store or in supermarkets. According to Bodybuilding.com, coconut oil contains 64 percent MCTs, or Medium Chain Triglycerides, which is more than any other type of food. MCTs are more rapidly absorbed into the body than any other type of fat and are used quickly for energy, which means that less fat is stored in the body.
Use
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Bodybuilders often use coconut oil during the cutting phase of their diet because it has a thermogenic, or fat burning, effect on the body. Adding 1 or 2 tsp. of coconut oil to cooking or protein shakes each day helps bodybuilders increase metabolism and shed body fat.
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Benefits
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Saturated fat and cholesterol are needed in the diet to boost the production of testosterone in the body. Cutting diets low in saturated fats often lead to decreased production of testosterone, which causes the bodybuilder to lose muscle mass. Adding coconut oil to the daily diet can stimulate testosterone production. Maintaining stable blood sugar is also important for getting lean. According to Muscle-Health-Fitness.com, coconut oil helps keep blood sugar stable by slowing down the emptying of the stomach, leading to smaller spikes in blood sugar after eating.
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References
- Photo Credit coconut image by citylights from Fotolia.com
