For those who take a fish oil supplement: what, how much, and why?

[Lector606]

t seems like this is one particular area where recommendations vary drastically, even from knowledgeable sources. I've heard recommendations for a 2:1 ratio of 6:3, a 3:1 ratio, varying amounts of EPA/DHA etc etc.

Simple question, just out of interest: If you're currently using a fish oil supplement, how many grams of omega 3 are you taking per day? Also, how much EPA/DHA are you getting? Please explain why you take the amount you do if you can.

I take 2 tsp of Nutrasea per day, which provides the following:

Nutritional Information
Calories 40
Calories from fat 40
Fat 4g
Saturated 1g
+ Trans 0g
Polyunsaturates 2g
Monounsaturates 1g
Cholesterol 15mg
Omega-3 1600mg
EPA 800mg
DHA 500mg
Other omega-3 300mg

Ingredients: pharmaceutical quality herring oil, thyme oil, rosemary
extract, natural lemon, ascorbyl palmitate, natural tocopherols.

Why I take the amount I take is completely unscientific. More makes me feel dizzy after a week or two (I have very low blood pressure) and less doesn't give me the joint pain relief that 2tsp seems to. I'd love to get a better understanding of how much I need so that I can get the most out of the stuff, though, so any input is appreciated.

[nikeair91]

I took nature made fish oil twice daily as recommended and i couldn't tell you the difference but the placebo effect made me feel like i was doing good:\

EDIT: Holy crap just saw your pic, why are you asking for advice you're obviously doing something right!! Nice physique man! (no homo)

[Lector606]

Thanks for the compliment. There is always more to learn though man

[nikeair91]

Personally, i'd go with Animal Omega, since they tend to exceed what you need with the basics.

I currently use Animal Pak and it is a solid supplement IMO, Animal Omega should be of the same quality

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/animalomega.html


Also, everyone body is different, you could try dosing 1.25 table spoons or 1.5 tablespoons and see how you feel.

[Lector606]

bump

[//\\//ate-\\//\\//elt]

I use Olympian Labs Fish Oil and it works great...I use the directed dosage which is 2 softgels twice daily with food. I use it to help with inflammation due to the fact that I just had shoulder surgery and it seems to help, and I can definitely tell it helps cuz my recovery has gone smoothly. It's like 17$ for 60 days worth which is pretty good. It also has some extra goodies for absorbtion which I love!

[Errorist]

Originally Posted by Lector606

I take 2 tsp of Nutrasea per day, which provides the following:

Nutritional Information
Calories 40
Calories from fat 40
Fat 4g
Saturated 1g
+ Trans 0g
Polyunsaturates 2g
Monounsaturates 1g
Cholesterol 15mg
Omega-3 1600mg
EPA 800mg
DHA 500mg
Other omega-3 300mg

Ingredients: pharmaceutical quality herring oil, thyme oil, rosemary
extract, natural lemon, ascorbyl palmitate, natural tocopherols.

I take 4-5 tbsp a day of the same stuff while cutting. 1-2 tbsp a day normally.

[security58]

Originally Posted by Lector606

bump

fish oils are anti inflammatory supps, they might aid u in recovery and soreness, plus it good for ur circulatory system... ive been on fish oils 2-3 times a day and have noticed that i dont get that sore anymore..

[AndrewChan]

Originally Posted by nikeair91

EDIT: Holy crap just saw your pic, why are you asking for advice you're obviously doing something right!! Nice physique man! (no homo)

lol this ^^

[Hansolo261]

when on fish oil I notice lower blood pressure, less joint discomfort and sometime it seems like I heal better. I was taking a vitamin world brand 3000 mg per day.

[0verc0m3]

Originally Posted by security58

fish oils are anti inflammatory supps, they might aid u in recovery and soreness, plus it good for ur circulatory system... ive been on fish oils 2-3 times a day and have noticed that i dont get that sore anymore..

yep, this is why I use fish oil...but there are TONS of other benefits to it also

[sxepayne]

I have really noticed the anti-inflammatory effects since starting to take it, but the reason I was directed to it was it is supposed to help brain activity when your under high anaerobic stress.

So when your working really hard and your brain starts to shut down, the omega 3 fatty acids are supposed to help your brain keep goin....

I don't have any references on this but it is what I was told by my trainer so I do it.

[sxepayne]

1 more thing for softgel users... find a brand that has a drop of lemon in it. That way when you burp it up later on in the day you don't taste fish. That was my biggest complaint at first when I took it, but now I've got the good stuff.

[UNCnate]

The health benefits of Omega 3's are too numerous to list, a quick google search will give you all that info.

As far as dosing, for your weight stick to around 2-3 grams daily of combined EPA/DHA.

[imam0nst3r]

Originally Posted by nikeair91

EDIT: Holy crap just saw your pic, why are you asking for advice you're obviously doing something right!! Nice physique man! (no homo)

dam, u look awsome op.

[SCDiesel23]

2-3 g

2000-3000mg of EPA and 150-300mg of DHA

Recent studies have shown that DHA may hinder the neurological benefits of EPA, plus your body can covert EPA to DHA as necessary.

[Lector606]

Originally Posted by SCDiesel23

2-3 g

2000-3000mg of EPA and 150-300mg of DHA

Recent studies have shown that DHA may hinder the neurological benefits of EPA, plus your body can covert EPA to DHA as necessary.

Thanks for the response. What do you think about relative amounts of omega 3/6? In other words, do you try to make them correspond in any way or do you think that it's unnecessary?

Guys I appreciate your compliments and your responses, but maybe I didn't word my question correctly. I KNOW the benefits of fish oil. I'm not asking why someone would take a fish oil supplement. I am saying, if you take for example 6g a day, WHY do you take 6g and not 8g? Or 4? If you have 2g EPA and 150 DHA WHY do you have that amount and not 1g of each? etc...

Thanks

[UNCnate]

Originally Posted by Lector606

Thanks for the response. What do you think about relative amounts of omega 3/6? In other words, do you try to make them correspond in any way or do you think that it's unnecessary?

Guys I appreciate your compliments and your responses, but maybe I didn't word my question correctly. I KNOW the benefits of fish oil. I'm not asking why someone would take a fish oil supplement. I am saying, if you take for example 6g a day, WHY do you take 6g and not 8g? Or 4? If you have 2g EPA and 150 DHA WHY do you have that amount and not 1g of each? etc...

Thanks

For me, there is literature to support dosing in the range from 2-4 grams daily. Anything more than that doesnt have a lot of literature out there [that Im familiar with].

The O3:O6 ratio is important too. You need both, less of the 06 though, as most Americans diets are flooded with these already. Really, just assess your diet. See which of each you are getting, and go from there.

[Lector606]

Originally Posted by UNCnate

The health benefits of Omega 3's are too numerous to list, a quick google search will give you all that info.

As far as dosing, for your weight stick to around 2-3 grams daily of combined EPA/DHA.

Do you think omega 3 intake should have anything to do with total fat intake or intake of other fats?

I have a hard time getting my daily calories in (I have a very high activity level and a fast metabolism to boot) so I eat around 200-250g of almonds before bed which is something like 125g of fat and no omega 3 AFAIK. I often wonder if I should take extra omega 3 to offset this, what do you think?

[SCDiesel23]

Originally Posted by Lector606

Thanks for the response. What do you think about relative amounts of omega 3/6? In other words, do you try to make them correspond in any way or do you think that it's unnecessary?

Guys I appreciate your compliments and your responses, but maybe I didn't word my question correctly. I KNOW the benefits of fish oil. I'm not asking why someone would take a fish oil supplement. I am saying, if you take for example 6g a day, WHY do you take 6g and not 8g? Or 4? If you have 2g EPA and 150 DHA WHY do you have that amount and not 1g of each? etc...

Thanks

I'm not too concerned with Omega 3-6 ratio, I feel I get enough Omega 6 from my diet. If you're concerned with your Omega 6 intake, eat Tilapia. IMO anything above 4g of EPA/DHA combined a day is a waste, plus I'm always in favor of a high EPA to DHA ratio. There's not only a point of diminishing returns but a point where too much fish oil becomes detrimental.

[Lector606]

Originally Posted by Errorist

I take 4-5 tbsp a day of the same stuff while cutting. 1-2 tbsp a day normally.

I am assuming that when you're cutting you have a lower calorie intake, do you lower your fat intake as well? If so, do you wonder at all about what I was mentioning above (ratio of 3:6) and do you think it matters?

One other question: does anyone have any links to studies regarding fish oil and body composition (fat distribution, oxidation etc) I can take a look at? I'm going to look on my own as well but I thought maybe someone would have some good information bookmarked or something like that.

Thanks for the responses everyone, turning out to be a very informative thread.

[naturalguy]

Originally Posted by nikeair91

Personally, i'd go with Animal Omega, since they tend to exceed what you need with the basics.

I currently use Animal Pak and it is a solid supplement IMO, Animal Omega should be of the same quality

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/animalomega.html


Also, everyone body is different, you could try dosing 1.25 table spoons or 1.5 tablespoons and see how you feel.

Animal Omega is a great choice. I take two packs per day myself. I can't say enough good things about this formula.

To the OP, Animal Omega has fish oil but it is much more than that. It is a complete, balanced, full spectrum EFA supplement.

[in10city]

Originally Posted by Lector606

I am assuming that when you're cutting you have a lower calorie intake, do you lower your fat intake as well? If so, do you wonder at all about what I was mentioning above (ratio of 3:6) and do you think it matters?

One other question: does anyone have any links to studies regarding fish oil and body composition (fat distribution, oxidation etc) I can take a look at? I'm going to look on my own as well but I thought maybe someone would have some good information bookmarked or something like that.

Thanks for the responses everyone, turning out to be a very informative thread.

You can use this a jumping point to further your research.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/5/1267

You do need however to be careful with interpreting the results and need to look at the details, as in this one such as the caloric differences between groups and the resultant effect over the course of the study.

[FrankStine]

I take two NSI Mega EFA from Vitacost.Com (highest grade fish oil on the market, potent, and best of all, cheap!)
I got glowing reports from a recent blood test I did and I owe it to my supplement.
One of the best quality fish oils out there, IMO...
Purified Fish Oil Concentrate (molecularly distilled) 2126 mg
800mg of EPA
400mg of DHA
(daily)

[SCDiesel23]

Originally Posted by FrankStine

I take two NSI Mega EFA from Vitacost.Com (highest grade fish oil on the market, potent, and best of all, cheap!)
I got glowing reports from a recent blood test I did and I owe it to my supplement.
One of the best quality fish oils out there, IMO...
Purified Fish Oil Concentrate (molecularly distilled) 2126 mg
800mg of EPA
400mg of DHA
(daily)

I've actually used both NSI and Country Life Omega 3 Mood, and I can say, unequivocally, the Country Life is better than the NSI.

[Errorist]

Originally Posted by Lector606

I am assuming that when you're cutting you have a lower calorie intake, do you lower your fat intake as well? If so, do you wonder at all about what I was mentioning above (ratio of 3:6) and do you think it matters?

One other question: does anyone have any links to studies regarding fish oil and body composition (fat distribution, oxidation etc) I can take a look at? I'm going to look on my own as well but I thought maybe someone would have some good information bookmarked or something like that.

Thanks for the responses everyone, turning out to be a very informative thread.

I use a keto diet and I don't count calories but I suspect that I am eating less considering I run EC while cutting. Either way, it's apparent I'm dropping fat when I look in the mirror and my weight has barely changed.

A thread on megadosing fish oil. - http://tnation.tmuscle.com/free_onli..._dose_fish_oil

Entire article at bottom -

The Single Best Supplement

Q: What's one supplement that every athlete, weekend warrior, and basically any active person should be taking daily?

A: Fish oil. I was first introduced to fish oil twelve years ago by my friend Mauro DiPasquale. I was over at his house and he had fish oil on the counter. I asked him what he used it for and he said, "Charles, this is the most important supplement ever."

He told me to go to Medline and punch in any disease known to man and the words "fish oil" beside it. He challenged me to find a study that didn't show how fish oil could benefit in the treatment of any disease. I gave up after 86 studies!

Why is it so beneficial? It's in our genes. Humans used to consume 300-400 grams of omega-3s per week. If we consume more than two grams a day now it's considered a lot.

There was a study published four years ago that showed that if the US government issued three grams of fish oil per day to American citizens, then the amount of cancer and heart disease would go down by 50% within one year. Most readers don't care about cancer and heart disease, but they may care about this: the biggest limiting factor in naturally training people to getting lean and adding muscle is the consumption (or lack thereof) of omega-3s.

Looking at the body structure of cavemen, they had a lot of muscle mass compared to modern man. They got their omega-3s through the meats they ate. Now, they often ate what the predators left. For example, a lion will eat an antelope from the gut on, so what's left is the skull and long bones. Primitive man would break the skull open and eat the brains. Brains are 60% fat, and 60% of that is DHA, the omega-3. What they've found is that the more brain-sucking was going in those populations, the faster the IQ went up.

Primitive man would also break the bones of the prey and suck the marrow, also rich in omega-3, DHA particularly. DHA is the omega-3 most responsible for brain development while EPA is most associated with reducing inflammation.

My athletes would often recognize each other when sitting around a table because those I'd be training would break out the fish oil during the meal. That's how I got the nickname "the fish oil guy" among athletes. But that's also how I get people so lean so fast.

Anyone who wants to put on muscle and lose fat should be on 30-45 grams of fish oil per day. That's just three tablespoons of fish oil. It would be a pain in the ass with capsules though because that's around 45 capsules per day, but it's easy with a straight oil.

Flameout is also a great product. I like the addition of CLA to the EPA and DHA because most of the population is deficient in CLA. When I travel abroad I bring four or five bottles of Flameout instead of my liquid fish oil and take four or five capsules a day.

For those of us interested in positively and optimally altering body composition and maximizing our training efforts, fish oils offer thirteen possible advantages:

1. Cell membrane health: EPA and DHA insure that cell membranes remain healthy. This means that the membranes are flexible and contain larger numbers of insulin receptors that are more receptive and responsive to circulating insulin. This results in decreased fat storage in the adipocytes (fat cells).

2. Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes).

3. Fish oils turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes).

4. Fish oils diminish C-reactive proteins, a newly identified risk factor associated with various inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. The DHA fraction of the fish oil seems to be one most responsible for that protective effect. DHA also has the best ability to reduce blood pressure.

5. Increase utilization of fat stores from the adipocytes.

6. Preferential utilization for energy production once stored in the adipocytes.

7. Reduced inflammation from physical training.

8. Pain management from the reduced inflammation.

9. EPA regulates blood supply to the brain which is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory, and cognitive function.

10. Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter). Therefore, fish oils will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack, and reduce carbohydrate cravings.

11. Fish oils will improve your cardiovascular risk profile by lowering VLDL, triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and increasing HDL levels. Combining fish oils with plant sterols will improve lipid levels even more than either alone.

12. Fish oils can also decrease blood pressure by several mechanisms. These include increases in the vasodilatory compound, nitric oxide, reducing vascular inflammation, blocking the constrictive elements in the vascular wall such as the calcium channels reducing blood viscosity, and inhibiting a blood vessel constrictor (thromboxane). Lipoprotein (a) is another CVD predictor that can be lowered by fish oils (a 19% reduction was seen with natural, stable fish oils and just 4% with a highly purified fish oil).

13. Fish oils are a great stress fighter. Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids inhibits the adrenal activation of steroids, aldosterone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine (catecholamines) elicited by a mental stress, apparently through effects exerted at the level of the central nervous system. Therefore, for the same amount of stress, one will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a regular basis.

In short, fish oil is my number one supplement recommendation!

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_a...th_december_06

Only problem with that article is there's no references and they're pushing their own fish oil product.

[Lector606]

Originally Posted by Errorist

I use a keto diet and I don't count calories but I suspect that I am eating less considering I run EC while cutting. Either way, it's apparent I'm dropping fat when I look in the mirror and my weight has barely changed.

A thread on megadosing fish oil. - http://tnation.tmuscle.com/free_onli..._dose_fish_oil

Entire article at bottom -

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_a...th_december_06

Only problem with that article is there's no references and they're pushing their own fish oil product.

I've read that article and it's a great example of how opinions about fish oil vary amongst educated people. I also have personally tried to take that much and I just got dizzy as hell and actually passed out once. My BP has always been very low due to genetics - ordinarily it's around 100/50 and taking this much fish oil lowered it enough to give me some unpleasant side effects

Not to mention it's very expensive to take that much and I wonder if the anti inflammatory effects of fish oil become more negative than positive at some point. I also know that too much fish oil can make a person bleed excessively as well which is something to be a bit weary of.

[Errorist]

Originally Posted by Lector606

I've read that article and it's a great example of how opinions about fish oil vary amongst educated people. I also have personally tried to take that much and I just got dizzy as hell and actually passed out once. My BP has always been very low due to genetics - ordinarily it's around 100/50 and taking this much fish oil lowered it enough to give me some unpleasant side effects

Not to mention it's very expensive to take that much and I wonder if the anti inflammatory effects of fish oil become more negative than positive at some point. I also know that too much fish oil can make a person bleed excessively as well which is something to be a bit weary of.

My blood pressure is normally 120-139/60-80. I don't think running ephedrine helps it any either.

Also as far as the bleeding excessively from fish oil goes, I hadn't thought about that. Glad I saw that before my surgery next month. I'll double check it with my surgeon just to be sure also.

[taydam]

Thanks for all the info everyone, I have been trying contemplating taking fish oils and this is great to know. I will be following this thread to further my knowledge.

[anabolicgiraffe]

Originally Posted by FrankStine

I take two NSI Mega EFA from Vitacost.Com (highest grade fish oil on the market, potent, and best of all, cheap!)
I got glowing reports from a recent blood test I did and I owe it to my supplement.
One of the best quality fish oils out there, IMO...
Purified Fish Oil Concentrate (molecularly distilled) 2126 mg
800mg of EPA
400mg of DHA
(daily)

I've used NSI Mega EFA before as well... it was alright for the price.