The health benefits of fish oils were first noted in Eskimos, despite a diet high in saturated fats and low in unsaturated ‘healthy’ fats, their rates of heart disease were much lower than expected. On further investigation it was found that it was the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oils that offered this heart protective effect.
Having a healthy heart is something that is important to everyone, especially bodybuilders. The heart pumps blood, nutrients and removes waste that lets us perform at our very best to get the most out of every training session. Due to the incredible health protecting effects of fish oil, in particular omega-3 fatty acids, these have been investigated for their roles in the body and the implications that they may have for athletes and bodybuilders.
It appears that it is the ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 that is important for health. Bodybuilders, with a diet that is typically rich in grains and animal proteins, intake high levels of omega-6 in the diet, so omega-3 supplementation becomes important to balance our ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, especially if we do not frequently eat oily fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids come in two types, EPA and DHA and the amount contained in our fish oil or omega-3 supplements is also important. The ratio of EPA to DHA is suggested to be around 3:2 and this dosage is often reflected in high quality omega-3 and fish oil supplements such as Olimp Nutrition Gold Omega 3.
The main way that omega-3 fatty acids cause their positive effects is due to the impact they have when incorporated into the various cells of the body. Their effects in cell membranes help regulate the flow of nutrients in and out of a cell, how structurally strong and flexible a cell is and how effectively a cell can remove waste. Due to its positive effects on these functions in pretty much every cell of the body, it is unsurprising that omega-3 fatty acids can improve the function and recovery of many of the body’s systems that we put under strain through bodybuilding.
The obvious tissues that we are concerned with through heavy loading of the joints are the joint tissues themselves and the inflammatory response caused by training – both in joints and muscles. Obviously we need our joints to be able to recover, alongside be able to cope with the loads we place them under, omega-3 helps support these processes. Although inflammation is a natural and healthy response to joint trauma or the breaking down of muscle, omega 3 helps to ensure that this inflammatory response is regulated properly, as too much inflammation can start to break down healthy tissue and lead to inadequate recovery and repair.
It is for these reasons that omega-3 has been associated with decreased muscle soreness and DOMs, reduced joint pain and inflammation, particularly in exercises that have a large eccentric component (the muscle lengthening under load) which is something that we do all the time as bodybuilders, as this is a key component to maximise muscle growth.
It has also been demonstrated that omega-3 can directly influence the body’s capacity to grow new muscle tissue. Omega-3 appears to play an important role in the signalling pathways that tell our muscles to build new muscle proteins, which helps to maximise your muscle gains.
As if this wasn’t enough to consider fish oil or omega-3 supplementation, omega-3 has also shown to positively impact on mood state, nervous system and cognitive functioning. All of which have the potential to impact on our strength, training output and importantly overall well-being. After all, we don’t just want to grow muscle, we want to be healthy in the process.
Supplementation is suggested to be between 2000-3000mg of omega 3 per day, so check the label of fish oil supplements as they may also contain other ingredients which may be of benefit such as vitamin E, an important antioxidant, and Vitamin D which supports healthy bone formation amongst many other things, to make sure you are getting the correct amount.
In summary, fish oils and omega-3 do not only support a healthy body and mind, but can help support better training, recovery and muscle growth. This is important during both periods of muscle-building where we may be in a calorie excess, when we are likely to be consuming a lot of omega-6 and during periods of dieting to help reduce the stress placed on the body and mind which often occurs during periods of fat loss, especially as we become leaner and more stress is placed on many of the body’s systems.
Paul Rimmer (BSc, MSc, PhD).
