Been looking into which Omega-3 supplement to buy and was just wondering if there was a recommended amount of EPA or DHA per day? It seems each brand offers a different amount per serving and was just wondering what was optimal? Thanks.
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Thread: How much EPA/DHA per day?
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03-18-2009, 12:59 PM #1
How much EPA/DHA per day?
"Watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny."
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03-18-2009, 01:08 PM #2
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03-18-2009, 01:20 PM #3
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03-18-2009, 01:32 PM #4
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03-18-2009, 01:35 PM #5
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03-18-2009, 01:36 PM #6
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03-18-2009, 01:41 PM #7
I just talked to a nutritionist about this. This may help:
"It seems like the amount that is beneficial depends on the study and the disease you are trying to prevent. It can be as low as 180 mg. for dementia prevention up to 1000 mg for decreasing mental illness. For heart disease 500-800 mg may be enough but some studies have gone up to 2 grams per day. I think as long as the amount does not cause gastro-intestinal effects in you, the larger amount is OK. Again realize that there is no control over how much really is in these supplements. A few brands have not had the potency that was listed on the label. I have seen one article that said taking smaller amounts throughout the day may help control burping or heartburn."
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03-18-2009, 01:44 PM #8
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03-18-2009, 01:45 PM #9
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03-18-2009, 02:26 PM #10
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03-18-2009, 02:40 PM #11
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03-19-2009, 01:33 AM #12
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03-19-2009, 09:41 AM #13
Not really.... and check the referenes on the bottom before you call me a 'bro' again
Reference from:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info...ST;f=13;t=4636
Bryan Haycock, an expert on training and nutrition in the field of muscle hypertrophy
CLA and EFAs
Try to get 2-6 grams per day of EPA+DHA. The FDA has only approved 2 grams per day because of the ability of omega-3s to thin the blood (reduce clotting). However, if you are not at risk of bleeding abnormalities, anywhere up to 6 grams per day is beneficial. The burping WILL stop if you take them consistantly. Takes about a week for the burps to stop.
Keep in mind that omega-3s will be preferentially oxidized (burned for fuel), so a lot of what you supplement on a low carb diet will be burned as energy before it can be stored in fat cells where it does its magic. Whenever possible, take your fish oils after a meal or after carbs. The carb load to the liver will decrease the oxidation of the fatty acids and allow more to pass through into the blood for storage. This is good when it comes to omega-3s and CLA.
CLA can't exactly "replace" EPA as far as nutritional needs go. But it does do the same job on fat cells (through PPARs)
It's going to take about 6-10 grams per day of CLA to notice any effect. If you use CLA while bulking it may help nutrient partitioning. CLA and Omega-3s should be taken "all" the time. They aren't supplements that you take every now and then. It has to be constant so that they can have time to change the environment within the body. This only happens as CLA are incorporated into fat cells. Unfortunately, the CLA is preferentially oxidized as it enters the liver, so you have to take enough to not only let the liver burn some, but also have enough to get into circulation and be deposited into fat cells.
As with EFAs I suggest you take CLA with carbs (or after a meal). The rise in insulin may prevent the immediate oxidation of the CLA, and enhance the delivery of it to subcutaneous fat cells.
The delivery of "fat" to fat cells may not seem like a good idea at first, but CLA and Omega-3s activate PPARs once in fat cells. This is good, and is what leads to the change in body composition over time.
Regular use of CLA will change your "tendency" to gain and lose fat. It will basically make your fat cells act as if you had a genetic predisposition to leanness. The mechanism is pretty interesting.
Here is a bit of info on CLA.
CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found primarily in beef and dairy fats. The reason that it is found primarily in beef and dairy products is because CLA is formed from linoleic acid by bacteria in the gut of cows (or herbavors). The cows then absorb the CLA and it becomes incorporated into lipids in the cows, including milk lipids.
How does it work?
CLA increases fat oxidation.
(West, D. B., J. P. DeLany, P. M. Camet, F. Blohm, A. A. Truett, and J. A. Scimeca. Effects of conjugated linoleic acid on body fat and energy metabolism in the mouse. Am. J. Physiol. 275 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 44): R667-R672, 1998)
CLA has been shown to increase certain enzymes responsible for fatty acid beta-oxidation. This means that the body?s ability to burn fat goes up significantly with CLA supplementation.
Inhibition of triglyceride uptake into fat cells.
(Park, Y., K. J. Albright, W. Liu, J. M. Storkson, M. E. Cook, and M. W. Pariza. Effect of conjugated linoleic acid on body composition in mice. Lipids 32: 853-858, 1997)
The best way to get fat is to send the fat you eat straight to the fat cell to be stored. This is generally what happens when we eat fat, however CLA supplementation has been shown to decrease the enzyme necessary for fat cells to take up fat and triglycerides from the blood. This fat is then more apt to be taken up by muscle tissue where it can be burned for fuel. In fact, CLA also increases the muscles ability to burn fat as fuel as mentioned previously.
CLA increases insulin sensitivity
(Houseknecht, K. L., J. P. Vanden Heuvel, S. Y. Moya-Camarena, C. P. Portocarrero, L. W. Peck, K. P. Nickel, and M. A. Belury. Dietary conjugated linoleic acid normalizes impaired glucose tolerance in the Zucker diabetic fatty fa/fa rat. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 244: 678-682, 1998)
The reason CLA has been labeled a ?partitioning agent? is because of its ability to shift the flow of nutrients away from fat tissue and towards muscle tissue. So you are starving the fat and feeding your muscle, the end result being an increase or maintenance of muscle and a reduction in fat.
CLA acts to reduce body fat stores by chronically increasing metabolic rate.
(West DB, Blohm FY, Truett AA, DeLany JP. Conjugated linoleic acid persistently increases total energy expenditure in AKR/J mice without increasing uncoupling protein gene expression. J Nutr. 2000 Oct;130(10):2471-7.)
Treatment with CLA chronically increases basal metabolic rate. Over time this elevation leads to significant reductions in fat mass. The exact mechanism by which CLA raises energy expenditure has yet to be elucidated but could act through PPARs.
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03-19-2009, 09:51 AM #14
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03-19-2009, 10:44 AM #15
Firstly,nowhere in that article (It's not even a proper article,more like a forum post) does it say "Anything less than 2 does not affect body composition".Secondly,the EPA/DHA part is just the author's opinion & not based on studies (The footnote references are about CLA) & even if it is based on actual science it's just his interpretation & not the scientific community's.
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03-19-2009, 10:50 AM #16
Don't get me wrong. Each person may act as he wants regarding supplements, but in general bodybuilders tend to overdose vitamins, minerals and other products of overall health.
In the early 1920s, competitive cyclists in the Tour De France smoked cigarettes during races because they thought that cigarettes were vasolidators and would relax lungs and allow more oxygen to be taken up by the lungs during exercise. The thought of smoking today would be crazy, because we know from science that smoking causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels to the lungs and cause just the opposite effect.
Many bodybuilders use low-carb diets during the weeks preceding a competition and consume mostly healthy fats such as olive oil, fish oil and lean proteins such as fish, lean chicken and sirloin. What if just like cyclist in the '20s we thought a diet that was conductive to losing body fat was actually preventing muscle growth?
Fish oils are potent anti-inflammatory agents that are great for reducing heart disease and other disorders of inflammation, but may no be best for maximal muscle growth.
So the bottom line is do you want to be the biggest guy in the gym or the oldest and healthiest?
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03-19-2009, 11:02 AM #17
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03-19-2009, 12:25 PM #18
CLA is a conjugated linoleic acid.
Linoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid.
EPA and DHA belong to a family of omega-3 fatty acids.
Both families have a similar effect on fat metabolism through PPAR's (see the previous response of mine). That's a fact.
The author is basing his opinion on years of muscle hypertrophy research and nutrition that helps along the process citing numerous scientific studies. I did not quote them all.
All the additional info can be found here:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html
The guy is genuine (all the info on the website is backed by scientific references and everything is free). I've been folowing his program for several years with excellent results.
You're right. It is 'the author's opinion' but based on serious research and subsequent training of personal clients.Last edited by ilalin; 03-19-2009 at 12:34 PM.
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03-19-2009, 12:28 PM #19
We definitely don't have all the answers and we'll probably never have them. My responses are usually based on personal experiences backed by current research claims. Am I right about everything?
I'm sure not, but to some degree the practices I stated worked for me without adverse health effects so far (based on blood and medical doctor examination values).
CheersLast edited by ilalin; 03-19-2009 at 12:31 PM.
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03-19-2009, 12:40 PM #20
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03-19-2009, 01:13 PM #21
Please stop educating me.I know what CLA,EPA/DHA & EFA's are.Although similar you cannot claim that CLA & EPA/DHA have the same effects on the body.
Again,1.your claim is not even the author's opinion,it's yours & 2.The author hasn't provided references to any study on EPA/DHA in support of his suggested dosage.The result is broscience on the foundation of apparent broscience.
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03-19-2009, 01:21 PM #22
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03-19-2009, 01:36 PM #23
I bought this:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/hp/fishoil.html
It says I should take 1 pill (.3g of EPA/DHA) 3x a day, which is less than 1g. You guys are saying I should take at least 3 pills 3x a day?
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03-19-2009, 01:38 PM #24
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03-19-2009, 01:54 PM #25
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03-20-2009, 12:12 AM #26
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03-20-2009, 06:41 AM #27
I noticed that the pills in that link weren't labeled as being "moleculary distilled." I found the following brand and they seem like a pretty good buy.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/now/om.html"Watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny."
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03-20-2009, 07:45 AM #28
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03-24-2009, 02:28 PM #29
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03-24-2009, 02:40 PM #30
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