bfloyd

I have been hearing that the Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial to the body and a necessity. When looking at supplements for this, I am finding Omega 3,6,9 as well as just Omega 3. Is the 3,6,9 better and why? Also, how does the Omega fatty acids benefit our cycling. Is the Omega the same as Fish Oils? Thanks.

radiofree

Go for the Omega 3-6-9 A healthy balance of fatty acids is good for you, too much of one is not. Fish Oil contains a great mix of fatty acids, and they benefit your overall health I don't know how they help cycling in particular though.

Richard Cranium

This is a very complicated area of nutrition. But the "gist" of of the Omega Oils "are-good-for-you" topic has to do with the "typical" modern western diet being far too high in animal fats.

The short answer is that certain oils from fish and non-animal sources "balance" out a diet that has to many "bad oils." You have a lor of reading to do if you want to figure out just how and when to balance your own diet by taking "good oil" supplements. More is better - only to a certain point.

AnthonyG

OK omega 3 fish oils are good for you and I consume plenty.

Saying that the typical modern western diet too high in animal fats is just WAY off the mark. Modern western diets are too high in omega 6 oils from VEGETABLE oils and omega 3 FISH oils balance it out somewhat.

I don't think that some of you know what animal fat is because there sure isn't that much of it around compared to say even 20 years ago and if you go back 100 years then it was wall to wall animal fats. Nowadays you go into a supermarket and its wall to wall refined vegetable oil. Apart from a tiny bit of butter and cream its REALY hard to find animal fats in a western supermarket and even the space that butter and cream takes up is pittyful compared to all the vegetable oils/margerine's.

The fats you REALY want to avoid are trans-fatty acids. The ironic thing with trans-fats is that they are the fats that REPLACED saturated fats in our food supply because we were led to believe that saturated fats were harmful and its a concept thats slow to die even though there is NO SCIENTIFIC evidence to support the lipid hypothisis.

So take some fish oil capsules and avoid margerine and baked goods with hardened vegetable oils.

Regards, Anthony

bfloyd

So, Taking Omega Fish Oil supplemets would be better that regular Omega 3,6,9 supplements? Are they to a point one in the same??

sillywabbit

This is from Wikepedia:

"Some medical research has suggested that excessive levels of omega-6 acids, relative to Omega-3 fatty acids, may increase the probability of a number of diseases and depression. Modern Western diets typically have ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 in excess of 10 to 1, some as high as 30 to 1. The optimal ratio is thought to be 4 to 1 or lower"

End Wikepedia.

In regards to Omega supplementation, Omega 3's are the ones most studies/recommendations/literature are referring to. Omega 3's clincially lower your triglyercide levels with minimal if any effects on other cholesterol components(a possible increase in HDL but not proven and most likely minimal). Others have reported increase in joint health and cognitive functioning but that yet remains to be proven.

The dose needed to lower triglycerides is somewhat high--typically start at 1gram three times daily increasing up to 2-3grams 3 times daily. Not to promote a product but Omicar is a concentrated omega 3 supplement that has the equivalent contents of 3 typical store bought omega 3 supplements. Ie--take 3 pills per day vs. 9 pills per day.

Overall, it seems safe to take but i would stay on the lower end of the dosing scale unless your Tri's are high.

late

Hi,
my personal experinece is that they are great. I have Salmon Oil caps and Flax/Fish/Boarge oil caps. I take both with breakfast. After that I take one with each meal or snack.

andre nickatina

Take omega-3, not 3-6-9. We get plenty of 6's and a good amount of 9's in the diet already. Make sure the fish oil you are taking is labeled MOLECULARLY DISTILLED, if it's not you may be getting unsafe levels of mercury. Fish oil is also better than flax and vegetarian omega-3's, which consist of ALA which the body must convert (slowly and inefficently) to EPA and DHA, the two fatty acids that make fish oil so healthy for you.

In my experience, fish oil will make you recover a little faster and hasten healing. Udo Erasmus who is one of the leading experts on this field of study would agree: https://udoerasmus.com/articles/fit_sports.htm

Enthalpic

+1

Recoverydoc

This is an area that can get a bit complicated as previously posted but balance your omegas with more 3 is very important. It helps control inflamation in your body and if you do some reading you will see how inflamtion can effect overall health ie heart disease as well as performance.

Recoverydoc

42497AKeywords:INFLAMMATORY DISORDER - Asthma, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty AcidReference:"Fish Oil and Inflammatory Disease: Is Asthma the Next Target for n-3 Fatty Acid Supplements?" Stephensen CB, Nut Rev, 2004;62(12):486-489. (Address: Charles B. Stephensen, PhD, (FAX) 530-752-8966, E-mail: cstephen@whnrc.usda.gov) Summary:Inflammation mediated by macrophages in the arterial wall is a feature of cardiovascular disease. Deposition of antibody complexes and neutrophil-mediated inflammation is central to rheumatoid arthritis. Production of immunoglobin (Ig)E antibody and the activation of pulmonary eosinophils, mast cells, and macrophages following exposure to environmental allergens can lead to asthma. Arachidonic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid (20:4n-6), the metabolism of which leads to the 4-series of leukotrienes and the 2-series of prostaglandins, which play a central role in the maintenance of chronic inflammation. Activation of immune cells or bystander cells in tissues affected by inflammation stimulates the release of arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids and allows the metabolism to prostaglandins by the enzyme cyclooxygenase or leukotrienes by the enzyme lipoxygenase. Prostaglandins of the 2-series result in vascular permeability and vasodilation, while leukotriene B-4 attracts granulocytes and macrophages to the sites of inflammation and stimulates production of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1�, tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-6 and interferon-?. Omega-3 fatty acids may have antiinflammatory effects by: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 5n-3) being a substrate for the same enzymes in prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis as arachidonic acid; EPA can then competitively inhibit the production of prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4; the corresponding EPA-derived compounds, prostaglandin E3 and leukotriene B5, are less potent mediators of inflammation. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) appears to have similar antiinflammatory effects as EPA, although it does not compete with arachidonic acid. DHA can decrease the release of arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids by reducing the activity of phospholipase A2. DHA may affect the function of membrane proteins, such as cell-surface receptors, and thus affect the response of cells of the immune system to external stimuli. DHA has been shown to reduce nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) activation and transcription of genes that mediate the inflammatory response. The current Western diet is rich in omega-6 fatty acids, while it is reduced in omega-3 fatty acids, which increases the likelihood of inflammation. Asthma has increased in prevalence over the last 30 years in Western countries. Results of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in asthma have been mixed. In an exercise-induced bronchoconstriction model or exercise-induced asthma in 10 triathletes and 10 runners (average age 23 years), subjects received 18 capsules of Max-EPA containing 3.2 g of EPA and 2.2 g of DHA or an olive oil placebo for 3 weeks. Results showed that the 3-week intervention with fish oil capsules resulted in a significant decrease in omega-6 fatty acids, linoleic acid and arachidonic acid and a significant rise in omega-3 fatty acids. There were no significant differences seen for DHA. The supplement reduced the arachidonic acid:EPA ratio from a 61-fold excess of arachidonic acid over EPA to a 3-fold excess. Control subjects without exercise-induced bronchoconstriction showed no significant increase in leukotriene E4, 11 �-prostaglandin F2 or leukotriene B4 following the exercise challenge. Those with exercise-induced bronchospasm did show increases in all 3 compounds following exercise during phase 1 and the placebo intervention. During the omega-3 fatty acid intervention, the levels of these 3 inflammatory compounds were significantly lower pre-exercise and at all post-exercise time points. Post-exercise reductions in forced expiration of 1-second duration (FEV1) were almost entirely eliminated by omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. These findings in elite athletes with exercise-induced bronchoconstrictions suggest that interventions with omega-3 fatty acids may ameliorate the symptoms in patients with non-exercise-induced asthma. Even though the supplements used in this study were 5-fold higher than levels recommended for patients with coronary heart disease, lower levels may produce similar results. It has been reported that fish oil supplements given to pregnant, atopic women reduced allergen-specific cytokine production as well as the severity of atopic dermatitis in their infants. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation or an increased consumption of oily fish may reduce the incidence of allergic diseases such as asthma.

dlew308

look for enteric coated fish oil pills else your stomach may get upset

MIN 

I take Flax Oil supplements because of fish oil burpies. Is fish oil that much more potent for Omega-3s?

nick burns

A handful of walnuts a day is a pretty decent source of omega-3.

dlew308

yes, usually the cheaper brands give fish burps or try taking em with food
A lot of people can't break down the flax stuff to get the omega 3

Tabagas_Ru

To eliminate fish burps, and any upset the oil may cause, why not freeze the fish oil capsules so that they liquefy post-pyloric in the duodenum, similar to enteric-coated capsules.

Max Viotu

I take Coromega...it comes in boxes of individual small single-serving packs and is a light 'Gu' consistency. It currently comes in three flavors, Lemon-lime, orange, and orange with a hint of chocolate (my fave). You can eat it right out of the little pouch, or mix it with all sorts of stuff. Tastes great...no fish taste at all.
Google it.

Max