Omega 3 fatty acids are compounds usually found in oily fish, two of which are of importance when supplementing fish oil into your daily diet: EPA and DHA. Both EPA and DHA are building blocks of immune cells, act as inflammatory mediators and support cardiovascular health.
Including a daily dose of Omega 3 can support normal immune function as well as brain, eye and heart health, whilst studies have shown taking Super Strength Omega 3 can lead to anaerobic endurance capacity and a reduction in muscle soreness following exercise.
More about the science behind Super Strength Omega 3
- Immune health - Both EPA and DHA are building blocks of immune cells and act as precursors of the inflammatory mediators: prostaglandins and leukotrienes (1, 2)
- Cardiovascular health - EPA and DHA elicit beneficial effects on cholesterol via increases in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) which plays an important role in transporting cholesterol to the liver to be expelled from the body (3, 4)
- Reduction in muscle soreness - supplementation with omega 3 has been linked to a reduction in the delayed onset of muscle soreness following eccentric muscle damaging exercise (5, 6). With lower perceived pain reported and decreased thigh circumference (6), this 48-hour post-exercise reduction in thigh circumference may indicate a reduction in muscle swelling and inflammation
- Increase in anaerobic endurance capacity - In a group of competitive football players, an increase in anaerobic endurance capacity was identified through increased distance covered in the Yo-Yo test (a high-intensity running protocol) when supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids compared to a placebo trial (7)
- Higher muscle oxygen uptake - an increase in nitric oxide production was linked to higher muscle oxygen uptake and increases in VO2 max have been seen in a group of endurance trained cyclists supplementing with omega 3 (8)
Science References
1. Gray, P., Gabriel, B., Thies, F., & Gray, S. R. (2012). Fish oil supplementation augments post-exercise immune function in young males. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 26(8), 1265-1272.
2. Andrade, P. M., Ribeiro, B. G., Bozza, M. T., Rosa, L. F. B. C., & do Carmo, M. G. T. (2007). Effects of the fish-oil supplementation on the immune and inflammatory responses in elite swimmers. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 77(3), 139-145.
3. Bernstein, A. M., Ding, E. L., Willett, W. C., & Rimm, E. B. (2011). A Meta-Analysis Shows That Docosahexaenoic Acid from Algal Oil Reduces Serum Triglycerides and Increases HDL-Cholesterol and LDL-Cholesterol in Persons without Coronary Heart Disease–3. The Journal of nutrition, 142(1), 99-104.
4. Eslick, G. D., Howe, P. R., Smith, C., Priest, R., & Bensoussan, A. (2009). Benefits of fish oil supplementation in hyperlipidemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of cardiology, 136(1), 4-16.
5. Tartibian, B., Maleki, B. H., & Abbasi, A. (2009). The effects of ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids on perceived pain and external symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness in untrained men. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 19(2), 115-119.
6. Mickleborough, T. D. (2013). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in physical performance optimization. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 23(1), 83-96.
7. Gravina, L., Brown, F. F., Alexander, L., Dick, J., Bell, G., Witard, O. C., & Galloway, S. D. (2017). n-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation During 4 Weeks of Training Leads to Improved Anaerobic Endurance Capacity, but not Maximal Strength, Speed, or Power in Soccer Players. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 27(4), 305-313.
8. Żebrowska, A., Mizia-Stec, K., Mizia, M., Gąsior, Z., & Poprzęcki, S. (2015). Omega-3 fatty acids supplementation improves endothelial function and maximal oxygen uptake in endurance-trained athletes. European journal of sport science, 15(4), 305-314.
