Are There Fish Oil Workout Benefits?

Are there fish oil workout benefits?

I like to change things up with the season.  In the spring, I clean feverishly – both the house, and the fridge and cupboards, which somehow accumulate little jars and strange frozen packets of things, all promises of delights to come or delights long gone.  And in the fall I do the same.  When the seasons change I think we naturally want to make changes with them.

This fall, I started checking youtube for ideas for changing up my workout, and I ran across a very interesting video I thought I’d share with you.  Turns out, taking fish oil before workout will actually help you burn more fat!

Now, I’m a big believer in fish oil helping with weight loss generally, by reducing inflammation and by giving your body fat which makes you feel more satisfied – but I had never thought of timing it with my exercise.  I immediately did some research – is it best to take it before exercising or should you take fish oil post workout?

According to the well-respected American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,

“Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors”

The study divided patients into four groups: one group who took fish oil and made no other changes; one group who took fish oil and performed cardiovascular exercise, one who took sunflower oil, and one who took sunflower oil and performed cardiovascular exercise.

The study took place over 12 weeks, and at the end of 12 weeks, the group who were taking fish oil showed reduced triacylglycerols, and an increase in HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol”).

But the group who did both – the fish oil workout group – showed a reduced body fat, improved cardio health and better metabolic responses. In particular, this combination seemed especially effective at losing belly fat.

Source:
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 5, 1267-1274

So who wouldn’t want to take fish oil post workout? Bodybuilders, who need the inflammation from tearing their muscles in their workouts, in order to rebuild muscle.

For bodybuilders, it’s best to take fish oil well before a workout.

For the rest of us, the anti-inflammatory benefits of fish oil mean you can take it before your workout and work out longer and harder. It helps to increase fat-burning and in effect gives your workout an edge.

If you’re looking for small changes you can make to improve your overall health, why not give this one a try?