Fat

In the previous parts, we built a solid foundation: We established the absolute necessity of energy availability, identified carbohydrates as the high-performance fuel for intense efforts, and got to know proteins as the indispensable architects for repair and adaptation.

One macronutrient is still missing, one that is often neglected in sports nutrition and falsely reduced to its role as a "slow fuel" for easy base sessions:

Fats.

As an endurance athlete, an efficient fat metabolism is indeed the foundation of your energetic capacity, but the true leverage of fats for your performance lies in their function as biological regulators—more specifically, in the essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6.

The crucial point: A training volume of 10 to 15 hours per week puts your organism in a state of massive, systemic stress. In this workload spectrum, fats do not merely act as calorie providers, but as highly active signaling molecules. They significantly determine whether your body remains in a chronic, performance-diminishing loop of inflammation or whether it possesses the necessary resilience to highly efficiently convert training stimuli into physiological adaptation and progress.

1. The Molecular Scale: Omega-6 vs. Omega-3

Fats form the membranes of every single cell in your body and control the body's own inflammatory response. Two main players face each other here:

• Omega-6 fatty acids (e.g., arachidonic acid): Tend to have a pro-inflammatory effect.

• Omega-3 fatty acids (specifically EPA and DHA): Have an anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving effect.

Important to understand: Inflammations are not inherently bad. Every training stimulus triggers a desired inflammatory response that serves as a starting signal for adaptation. The problem only arises when these inflammations do not subside—or subside too slowly—after training due to a nutrient imbalance.

In the modern Western diet, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is often at a catastrophic 15:1 to 20:1 (DiNicolantonio & O’Keefe, 2018). As a result, your body is in a permanent "smoldering fire." For an athlete who already produces high levels of oxidative stress and microtraumas through 15 hours of training per week, this is a guarantee for chronic muscle soreness, stagnation, and an increased risk of injury. The target ratio for ambitious athletes should be between 3:1 and a maximum of 5:1.

2. The Dose for the Ambitious Athlete

Anyone training 10 to 15 hours can no longer meet their needs with "a salad with linseed oil every now and then." Science proves that the marine fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in particular are crucial for minimizing training-induced muscle damage and supporting muscle protein synthesis (Philpott et al., 2019).

For your training volume, the evidence-based recommendation is: 1,500 mg to 2,500 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day. During phases of extreme physical stress (e.g., training camps), the intake can temporarily be increased to up to 3,000 mg.

3. Salmon on the Plate: The Practical Reality

What do 2 grams of EPA/DHA mean for your meal plan? To cover this requirement purely through food, you would have to consume approximately the following every day:

• Approx. 100 g to 150 g wild salmon (Farmed salmon often falls short, as its omega profile is worsened by soy feeding).

• Or approx. 200 g herring.

• Or approx. 1,000 g cod.

This is practically impossible to implement in everyday life. On top of that: Even with an unlimited budget, you would accumulate a concerning load of heavy metals and microplastics through this daily fish consumption. This is where the "whole food" concept reaches its toxicological limits in competitive sports.

4. The ALA Trap: What Vegetarians and Vegans Need to Know

Many plant-based athletes rely on walnuts, flaxseeds, or chia seeds. But beware: These sources only contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)—but not the EPA and DHA that are critical for athletes.

While your body can convert ALA, the conversion rate is biochemically extremely inefficient: Often less than 5–8% is converted into EPA and under 0.5% into DHA (Burdge, 2006).

The calculation example: Walnuts are healthy, but to generate 1,000 mg of usable EPA/DHA, you would have to eat approx. 220 grams of walnuts daily. For the recommended 2,000 mg, it would be 440 grams. That equates to almost 3,000 kilocalories and nearly 280 grams of fat per day—an amount that completely paralyzes your digestion during training and leaves no room for essential carbohydrates.

The consequence: For vegan and vegetarian athletes, direct supplementation of EPA/DHA is not a "bonus," but a physiological necessity for long-term health and performance.

5. Supplement Check: Fish Oil or Algal Oil?

Since supplementation is almost inevitable with high training volumes, the question of the source arises:

• Fish oil: The classic. Important here are the highest purity and a low TOTOX value (< 10), which indicates how fresh (or rancid) the oil is.

• Algal oil: My favorite in coaching. Fish only accumulate Omega-3 because they eat algae. With algal oil (Schizochytrium sp.), you directly utilize the primary source. It is free of pollutants, sustainable, and has excellent bioavailability.

Pro-Tip for intake: Always take your Omega-3 supplement with a fat-containing meal. Since EPA and DHA are fat-soluble, your intestines need dietary fat (e.g., from eggs, avocado, or nuts) to optimally absorb the active ingredients.

Conclusion: Fuel for the Work, Protect for the Future

While carbohydrates and proteins are your tools for acute stress and repair, the Omega-3-to-Omega-6 ratio is your systemic protective shield. It regulates the elasticity of your blood vessels, the health of your joints, and the responsiveness of your immune system.

Reduce Omega-6 sources (like sunflower oil or highly processed convenience foods) and secure your daily 1.5 to 2.5 g of EPA/DHA. Your body will thank you with faster recovery and less downtime.

References

• Burdge, G. C. (2006). Metabolism of alpha-linolenic acid in humans. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.

• DiNicolantonio, J. H., & O'Keefe, J. H. (2018). Importance of maintaining a low omega–6/omega–3 ratio for reducing inflammation. Open Heart.

• Mickleborough, T. D. (2013). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in physical performance optimization. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

• Philpott, J. D., et al. (2019). Applications of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for sport performance. Research in Sports Medicine.

• Walser, B., & Stebbins, C. L. (2008). Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves microvascular function and exercise tolerance. Journal of Applied Physiology.