5 Reasons Why You Need Fish Oil for Building Muscles

The supplement praised as the “anti-aging miracle” by soccer moms everywhere, fish oil is getting brand new attention in the public eye. But this time, it’s not for fighting radical antioxidants or giving your daily Omega 3’s. Instead, fish oil is catching people off guard with it’s steller ability to help build big muscles

Often taken as a supplement for different health reasons, which include brain health, better-looking skin, and improved vitality. There is another surprising fact for bodybuilders or just people who are trying to increase their body mass — fish oil aids the muscle-building process itself.

An Anabolic Supplement

I’m about to distill a whole year’s worth of university biology material in a couple paragraphs real quick, but there are fundamentally 2 activities going on in the body at all times. The processes are anabolic and catabolic. Anabolic is considered the process of building while catabolic processes are the destructive phases in the body. Basically, we’re always building and destroying cells on our path towards surviving entropy.

And fish oil has become the cool kid in school because of it’s anabolic properties, as shown in recent scientific studies.

Muscles, like all other tissues, are also constantly being built and destroyed. Anabolic substances increase the anabolic processes so that building outweighs their destruction. They do this by upgrading the anabolic pathways and downgrading the catabolic ones. Like Sherlock Holmes would say: “It’s elementary my dear Watson.”

So, if you want to build muscle you have to tip the scale towards the anabolic processes. The positive thing about fish oil is that it not only increases anabolic processes but also decreases catabolic ones, giving you a win-win.

DHA and EPA (Not The Government Agencies)

The primary culprits for fish oil’s muscle boosting effects are EPA and DHA. These two components alter the way your body stores fat in the bilayer of the cells. Although fish oil is fat, it is not used as fat by the body. Instead, will use it in the lipid layer outside the cell and affect the way the cell feeds.

Why You Need Fish Oil for Muscle Building

Here are the 5 reasons why you need to have fish oil as part of your workout supplements.

#1. Increases Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin is a enzyme that breaks down food particles like proteins and carbs. It is produced by the pancreas and functions like an anabolic substance in the body. If you have low insulin sensitivity, it will be really hard to lose fat since you have increased levels of the enzyme Lipoprotein Lipase. It is an enzyme that promotes fat storage.

When you eat, the insulin goes towards the muscle cells and binds to insulin receptors. The insulin signals the receptors to open up to absorb the glucose needed for their work from the blood. With this, the muscles receive more fuel and nutrition and synthesize new muscle cells. When insulin sensitivity is increased, the muscle cells open up quicker to glucose coming into them. This gives them more energy and strength while also lowering insulin levels in the blood.

The connection between fish oil and insulin levels has been studied for the positive effect on fish oil in preventing and treating. In studies, fish oil supplements increase adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is a marker for insulin sensitivity in studies, and its increased values are used as an evidence for decreased risks of developing diabetes.

#2. Improves Joint Health

Weightlifting heavily involves joint function. We know this is true because weightlifters get bigger wrists over time, and any weightlifter also knows that aching joints are a big problem they have to address. Years of heavy training takes a toll on joint lubrication and flexibility. Cartilage breaks down when it is heavily loaded over long periods of time.

The fish oil improves joint cartilage, and the EPA and DHA decrease inflammation that is responsible for the breakdown of joint tissue. As a side note, while you’re taking your recommended daily dose of fish oil, be sure to scope out pure CBD oil for your achy muscles. It’s awesome at loosening sore muscles.

#3. Increases Muscle Strength

Fish oil is mainly composed of amino acids — the building blocks of muscles. The increase of easily used amino acids improves muscle activation and increases functional capacity. The fatty acids slow down the muscle proteolysis or break down. As mentioned, the increase of anabolic processes and decrease of catabolic ones tips the scales twice towards muscle-building.

#4. Neutralizes the Effects of Training Sessions

Workout improves all functions of the body by boosting immunity. People who want to build muscle, though, usually overtrain and put an extra strain on their body. The intensity of the exercising can induce the production of stress hormones and free radicals. Free radicals damage cells. The Omega-3 fatty acid found abundantly in fish oil raises antioxidant levels. Antioxidants are the neutralizers of free radicals in the body. When you boost your antioxidant levels, you will negate the effects of free radicals on the body.

#5. Burns Fat

Besides building muscle, you can achieve a lean muscular look when you bring down to a minimum the levels of fat in the body. The increased sensitivity to insulin also lowers the enzyme that is responsible for fat storage in the body. The main precursor of fat storage in the body is the cortisol hormone. It is the hormone of stress, and it is no wonder that people gain significant amounts of weight when placed under stressful situations. Fish oil lowers cortisol levels, which is a good therapy for both your emotional health and lean muscles.

How to Take Fish Oil

Taking supplements should consider the individual specifics of your organism. It is best to contact a doctor for advice about supplementing with fish oil if you have any health conditions or concerns.

That being said, the most common problem with taking fish oil is the burps that may occur as a result. The best way to avoid the burps is to take the supplement right before consuming food. The fish oil will mix with the other foods and digest easier.

Some precautions when taking fish oil are meant for people who have blood-clotting issues and taking anticoagulant drugs including aspirin. Taking blood-thinning medication is not recommended when supplementing with fish oil. This could cause increased bleeding that may manifest as skin bruising or nosebleed. Patients who have heart problems or irregular heart rhythm should skip this supplement.

Fish oil should be purchased from a trusted and quality source. A good fish oil supplement, like those of Pure Path Essential Oils, has plenty of DHA and EPA values and is properly tested for potency and quality.