In this blog, we’re going to talk about something called MCT oil. MCT oil has become a very popular supplement, usually sold separately as an oil that you can have in pretty much anything. Lately, however, MCT oil has become an important ingredient in a bunch of other supplements, such as meal replacements, protein powders and other.
So, what exactly is it? MCT (short for medium-chain triglycerides) are medium length fatty-acid chains that are processed by the body differently than long fatty acids. These fats go straight from the gut to the liver. Hence becomes a source of energy or turned into ketones. These fatty acids can be found in coconuts. More specifically, coconut oil. So, why not just use coconut oil instead, you might ask? That’s because coconut oil is a mix of fatty acids. Not saying coconut oil is bad, but with MCTs you can take out the holy grail which is the Caprylic acid (C8), which is why you would be better off to just take MCT in a more concentrated form, such as in MCT oil or powder.
The molecules in MCT are much smaller than those in most other fats you consume, which makes them much easier for your body to absorb quickly into your bloodstream, which gives you energy. A pure source of energy, unlike caffeine, you won’t have any crashes from it either.
Now, why should you use it? Aside from giving you durable energy which could be helpful during exercise, it also comes with a bunch of other benefits that can help with:
.. For example!
Now, you might be wondering why we at Gamerbulk are highlighting it, considering that we have a focus on supplements that cater to gamers? Well, that’s because MCT also may help your body produce ketones, which is an energy source that goes straight to a gamers most important organ – the brain! This in turn will make your mind sharper and more precise, which can enhance your reaction time, focus and memory.
How can you use it? As an oil, it goes with pretty much anything! You can have it with your gaming drink, in your food, in a shake, over a sallad, to cook with – you can even drink some directly, though we wouldn’t recommend it. Having some for every meal whether it be through a shake, or something cooked, is completely up to you, which is also another reason why we recommend it so much. It’s multiple ways of digestion makes it a quick, easy and useful gaming supplement, where time sometimes is of the utmost value!
However, now that you know about MCT oil, don’t jump the gun and get just any type you can find! First, understand that there are different types of MCT’s. These variants all have a different fat chain length, which in turn affects just how quickly the body can process it. There are 4 variants:
The 3 last ones are usually the ones you’ll hear about. The “C” stands for carbons, which the fat chain consists of, and the number represents how many carbons the variant has. The shorter the fat chain is, the quicker your body can process it into energy. Now, as C6 is the variant with the shortest fat chain, it should be the obvious choice to pick from, right?
While C6 is the variant that can be processed quickest by the body, it usually isn’t picked in the making of supplements due to its rather unpleasant smell and taste. The more popular alternatives, C8 and C10, have no taste, and are therefore easier to consume, or mix with other ingredients. Between the 2, C8 is usually the better option to go for, due to it having a shorter fat chain. Now it all comes down to a price vs. quality question. But, if you find MCT powder with 100% C8 for a good price, then that is the obvious choice to go for.
In conclusion: If you are a gamer, and are also looking to get into MCT oil, make sure to go for some C8 oil. It will give you the best effect, and doesn’t taste anything, so it’s easy to mix with any drink or food of your choice. If you are looking to buy meal replacements, any meal that has C8 in it could also be a bonus, so keep that in mind! Because that’s exactly where all the energy from it will go – the mind 😉 !
We hope you found some useful knowledge out of this article!
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