If you browse most lists of recommended bodybuilding and fitness supplements, high quality fish oil will always be mentioned as a staple.

But why take fish oil? Does fish oil actually help you build muscle, lose fat and improve your overall health?

The answer is yes, and it accomplishes this in a variety of ways…

#1 – Why Take Fish Oil: Improved Muscle Growth

Fish oil can actually help you build lean muscle at a faster rate due to the following effects…

* Increases muscle anabolism by raising protein synthesis. This was demonstrated in a study at the Washington University School Of Medicine using 4 grams of fish oil daily.

* Produces an increase in the mTOR and p70S6K pathways, which are key signalling pathways involved in stimulating muscle growth.

* Reduces muscle breakdown by lowering cortisol levels and suppressing the key system involved in muscle catabolism (the ubiquitin-proteasome system).

* Improves recovery in between workouts by reducing muscle inflammation. This also has positive effects on joint health, which in turn lowers the chances of injury.

#2 – Why Take Fish Oil: Increased Fat Burning

On top of its muscle building properties, fish oil has measurable effects on fat loss as well…

* Increases thermogenesis, which is the number of calories that are burned as heat energy throughout the day.

* Reduces the percentage of dietary carbohydrates that are stored as fat by improving the efficiency of the conversion of carbs into energy.

* Increases the activity of certain enzymes responsible for fat oxidation.

#3 – Why Take Fish Oil: Overall Health Benefits

Even if you aren’t a bodybuilder, fish oil is still one of the most valuable supplements you can take due to its many positive effects on overall health.

The Harvard School Of Public Health found that omega-3 deficiencies cause up to 96,000 deaths in the US every single year.

Fish oil has been shown to produce a multitude of potential health benefits, demonstrating positive effects on the cardiovascular system, brain function, immune system, cholesterol levels, circulation, vision, mood and skin health just to name a few.

How To Take Fish Oil For Maximum Benefits

Anyone who is serious about maximizing their bodybuilding progress and overall health should definitely be supplementing with high quality fish oil on a daily basis.

How much should you take, and when?

The key thing to keep in mind is that it isn’t the raw amount of actual oil that is important (for example, 5 grams), but rather the specific amount of EPA and DHA that you consume.

EPA and DHA are the two valuable fatty acids found in fish oil that produce all of its benefits.

A very good guideline is to shoot for 2-3 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day. If you check the label on your fish oil supplement you’ll see the specific EPA/DHA content listed.

So if your oil contains 50% EPA/DHA, you’d take 4-6 grams of total fish oil daily. If it contained, 30%, you’d aim for 7-10 grams. The concentration will vary greatly among different brands, and the higher the better.

My suggestion is to check out Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, as it delivers a high quality source of fish oil in its natural triglyceride form with high concentration of EPA and DHA.(Please note that I’m not affiliated with this specific brand; this is simply the product I personally use and recommend)

– Sean

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