Supplementation can be overwhelming.
No matter what your goal is–build muscle, lose fat, improve health–there are hundreds of supplements to choose from.
And good luck trying to sort the wheat from the chaff.
If you’re to believe the hype, many of these pills and powders have downright magical properties and are capable of performing downright miracles.
Just one bottle of this, you’re told, will give you instant muscle gain. That one? It melts fat off your body. Those over there? They double your brainpower. And on and on.
I guess that’s why so many people spend so much money on supplements.
Well, if a part of you has suspected that the supplement industry is more smoke and mirrors than science and substance, you’re right.
It’s an unregulated rough and tumble of a marketplace that’s more or less a playground for rent-seeking bums and pirates.
That said, it’s not all bad.
There are supplements that have good science behind them and that can help you optimize your health and physical and mental performance.
Take something simple like vitamin D, for example.
It was long thought to be important for just bone health but we now know that it plays a crucial role in a whole host of vital physiological processes, and unless you spend a lot of time in the sun, supplementation is the only way to give your body what it needs.
Fish oil is another good example because it provides your body with two nutrients that are otherwise hard to get enough of through diet alone:
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
What are these molecules and why are they so important, you ask? What do they do in the body and what kind of benefits do they confer?
And what about fish oil supplements? Which ones are good and which aren’t and why?
Listen to this episode to find out!
Oh and if you like this episode and want to get notified when a new one goes live, head on over to Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Soundcloud, or Google Play and subscribe.
Lastly, if you want to support the show, please drop a quick review of it over on iTunes. It really helps!
Timestamps:
4:40 – What is a fish oil supplement?
8:53 – What are the benefits of getting enough EPA and DHA in your diet?
17:38 – How does an omega 3 fatty acid affect muscle gain?
19:31 – How much fish oil should I take?
21:12 – What are the different types of fish oil?
Mentioned on The Show:
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
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