Low Body Fat - Can It Be Harmful?

​Having a visible six pack or a more define physique is often the goal of many people. To achieve that, having a low body fat percentage is one of the key criteria. But is having that little fats in your body really good for you?

How low is low?

​From the Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart by American Council on Exercise (ACE), the percentages differ for different gender and activity level. Women naturally have a higher body fat percentage due to body genetic. And people who are more active will tend to have lower body fat percentage as well due to a more effective use of energy in their body.

I would like to bring your attention to the description Essential Fat. Just like what the name suggest, essential fats are fats that are essential in our body to keep our body functioning properly. Thus this is the fat percentage level that one should not go down to.

Essential fats exist in your organs such as your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines and central nervous system. They help enable proper chemical signalling for body processes and functions such as metabolism, growth and immunity. They also play an extremely important role in regulating hormones for both male and female reproductive abilities.

So before you start some program to get your body fat even lower, or simply just want to maintain that low a fat percentage in your daily life, here are some possible risk factors that is worth noting before you make that change.

1. May lead to Fat-Soluble Vitamin Deficiencies

There are basically 2 types of vitamins – Fat and Water Soluble. By the name of it, your body can only absorb these vitamins with the presence of either fat or water. In the case where you have low body fat percentage, your body might not be able to absorb fat-soluble vitamins as effectively, resulting in possible deficiencies. Here are the list of fat-soluble vitamins and their respective function. Knowing the function can help you to be more aware of the importance of these vitamins and the possible risk of its deficiency.

• Vitamin A – Needed for vision, healthy skin, membranes, bone and tooth growth, immune system health.

• Vitamin D – Needed for proper absorption of calcium.

• Vitamin E – Helps protects cell walls and act as an antioxidant.

• Vitamin K ­– Needed for proper blood clotting

2. Increase Risk of Heart Problem

A study has shown that bodybuilders, who undergoes stringent routine to achieve low body fat percentage, have their heart rate dropped to 27 beats per minute from 53. A heart rate that is this low, otherwise known as bradycardia, can lead to dizziness, passing out and even cardiac arrest.

3. Reduced Efficiency in Chemical Signalling within the Body

One the of the most important aspect of body fat is to provide proper channel for chemical signal to fire within the body. Just like an electric wire, once it lacks its conductivity, the current will be weaker, resulting in the drop of performance of function. Likewise for your body, if we are deficit in body fat, our body processes might be not working as well. Here are some functions of the body that may be disrupted with low body fat. 

• Damage nervous system

• Decrease brain function

• Affects metabolism

• Reduce growth and immunity function

• Reduce reproduction capabilities

4. Susceptible to Cold

Fats help to maintain body temperature and provide insulation for organs. With reduced body fats, your body will be more prone to feeling cold with reduced insulation.

5. Prone to Organ Trauma

Fats also act as a soft cushion for your organs, preventing excessive shock and trauma to it with may result in further health complications

6. Fertility Issue

​Leptin, a hormone responsible in reproductive function within the body, is produced by body fat cells. Low body fat correlates to low leptin production to signal the need for reproductive function. The body recognise low body fat as a need to switch on its survival mode, disabling its non-essential body process such as reproduction in order to conserve energy. This condition is also known as Hypogonadism. For guys, there will be a decrease in testosterone levels as well as lower sperm count as the reproductive system shuts down. For ladies, the menstrual cycle may be stopped resulting in infertility.

7. Unsustainable

​To achieve and maintain low body fat percentage, one has to be on calories deficit. Over a prolong period of time, your body will adjust by reducing metabolism and throwing away precious muscles for energy so as to fit the reduced calories intake. In the long run, you will not be having a healthy metabolism and sufficient lean muscle mass. Furthermore, being constantly on a calorie deficit will probably mean to give up some of your favorite food, avoid gathering or simply just working out with increased frequency and duration. This kind of lifestyle habit will be difficult to sustain over a prolong period of time.

Conclusion

​It is fine to have low body fats as long as it does not go below the essential fat level that is required in our body. However, as body fat decreases, the risk of above mentioned points will increase as well thus it is worth considering a balance between a healthy body and being aesthetically pleasing. ​