Why Triathletes should take Omega-3 Fish Oil
Is fish oil the one supplement all triathletes should be taking?
The main purpose of nutrition for triathletes is to compensate for increased energy and nutrient needs. In recent years, the role of omega-3 fatty acids, that comes from fish oil, specifically eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) has received increasing research attention in the sports arena.
Overall, studies on fish oil supplementation in sport performance are diverse, nonetheless, the studies undertaken suggest a potentially beneficial effect of omega 3 fats, EPA and DHA on performance by improved endurance capacity and delayed onset of muscle soreness, as well as on markers related to enhanced recovery and immune modulation.
Below are 6 reasons to take Omega-3s before your next workout produced by OmegaQuant an independent, CLIA-certified lab that offers a Omega-3 index to researchers, clinicians and the public.
Guidelines from the British Dietetic Association suggest that we should all try to eat two portions of fish a week, and one of these portions should be oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon or trout. However, getting your omega-3 fatty acids directly from cooked fish doesn’t suit everyone. Aside from taste, the smell of fish that can spread through your home.
A substitute for cooking fish in the home can be tinned fish, such as sardines in tomato sauce, or tinned mackerel minced with lemon juice and soft cheese to make a sandwich filling
If you don’t like eating fish you can take omega-3 supplements which is considered safe and effective. Follow the advice on the packaging to make sure you are taking a suitable amount each day. Make sure you use a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil, as this ensures it is free of any contaminants should you be an athlete subject to drug testing.
We could enlarge this article with scientific data but instead end with the words of British and Irish racing cyclist Michael Hutchinson previous holder of the 10, 25, 30, 50 and 100-mile competition records who in researching legal method to improve performance for one of his cycling books wrote “The one thing that I am 100% sure works – and more or less everyone I’ve ever spoken to about it agrees – is Omega 3 fatty acids, or fish oil”.
