Competitive bodybuilding demands meticulous attention to detail and unwavering dedication to achieving a physique that can be deemed Olympia worthy. To excel at this level, athletes have to optimize every aspect of their lifestyle, training, and nutritional intake. Protein sometimes takes all the glory for muscle gains in the nutrition conversation, but we cannot forget about the unsung hero, dietary fat. More specifically, essential fatty acids (EFAs), which can be a challenge to obtain even with a well-planned diet. Despite knowing that they are in fact important, many athletes, even seasoned ones, don’t fully understand how to make their EFA supplements and bodybuilding routines work together to build muscle. When looking for an EFA supplement, I want a comprehensive product with few, if any, drawbacks, which for me is Animal Omega. So for the sake of this post, understand that I’m not just talking generally about essential fatty acid supplements for muscle growth, but specifically Animal Omega.
Understanding Essential Fatty Acids:
Before delving into the specifics of Animal Omega, it's helpful to grasp the link between EFA supplements and bodybuilding. EFAs are vital nutrients that play a crucial role in various physiological functions. However, while the body creates non-essential fatty acids (NEFAs) on its own, essential fatty acids can only be obtained through dietary intake.
What Are Essential Fatty Acids?
True to their name, essential fatty acids are indeed essential.
Each essential fatty acid falls into one of two categories: omega-3 and omega-6. I won’t bore you with a chemistry lesson, but the numbers refer to the position of the carbon double bond in each EFA molecule.
Omega-3 fatty acids play a key role in supporting cardiovascular health, while omega-6 empower immune response, assist in blood pressure regulation, and help drive down inflammation, particularly inflammation caused after intense workouts.
A finely tuned diet will supply the body with EFAs from a variety of sources. [1]
Primary sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
- Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) comes from sources like leafy greens and flax seeds
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is found abundantly in salmon and other fatty cold-water fish
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can be obtained in fish oil and red-brown algae
- Primary sources of Omega-6 Fatty Acids:
- Linoleic acid (LA) is abundant in things like sunflower, safflower, and corn, and to a lesser extent in soybeans, almonds, and sesame
- Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a rare one, sourced from black current, borage, primrose oil, etc.
- Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) is created from GLA intake
- Arachidonic acid (AA) enters the body when consuming meat, eggs, and dairy foods
Suffice to say, getting the right amount of EFAs from the right sources is complicated.
Maybe that’s why an estimated 95-99% of people don’t get enough essential fatty acids for good health. As athletes, breaking this mold and achieving optimum health is paramount, and taking high-quality supplements for essential fatty acids has many benefits to overall performance.
Do essential fatty acids help build muscle?
The short answer is, yes. The intelligent answer is, EFAs help stimulate muscle growth in complex ways.
A particularly important way EFAs support you in your bodybuilding journey is by helping to form specific immune-response molecules that work to balance hormone levels, protein synthesis, and other key cellular functions. The efficacy of these functions can be amplified by taking specially formulated essential fatty acid supplements for muscle growth.
What Are The Benefits Of EFAs for Athletes?
Muscle Growth: The only small correlation between EFA supplements and bodybuilding is at the molecular level. Beyond that, the correlation between essential fatty acids and your gains is enormous and inseparable. That’s why many professional bodybuilders take EFA supplements regularly.
Enhanced Recovery: Intense training sessions take a toll on the body, causing muscles to get damaged and inflamed in the hypertrophy process*. Animal Omega's potent anti-inflammatory properties facilitate faster recovery by reducing post-exercise soreness and promoting muscle repair.
Joint Support: Bodybuilders often subject their joints to repetitive stress and heavy loads, increasing the risk of injury and wear-and-tear. The omega-3 fatty acids in Animal Omega provide crucial support to joint health, lubricating cartilage, and minimizing inflammation.
Hormonal Balance: Hormones play a pivotal role in muscle growth, metabolism, and overall performance. Animal Omega's omega-6 fatty acids contribute to steroid hormone and eicosanoid synthesis, key components in cellular signaling for muscle growth.
Cardiovascular Health: A healthy heart is essential for sustaining longevity in bodybuilding or any sport. EFAs offer benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing triglyceride levels and improved blood flow.
Cognitive Function: Omega-3 fatty acids, notably DHA, play a pivotal role in promoting brain health, bolstering cognitive abilities such as memory, focus, and mood regulation.
The list goes on, with many benefits that align more with overall health. But these are the big ones when it comes to taking essential fatty acid supplements for muscle growth and overall workout performance. If you want to provide your immune system with some serious well-rounded backup, you’ll want to branch out with other workout supplements to stay healthy.
What sets Animal Omega apart from other EFA supplements?
No fishy burps! Animal Omega pills have an enteric coating which allows them to pass through the stomach to be absorbed in the intestinal tract. This makes absorption smoother and keeps fish breath at bay.
Fewer pills! Animal omega used to include 8 pills and now is highly concentrated down to only 5 pills, but with 2x the amount of EPA/DHA before.
EPA/DHA dosing is equal to that of 2 servings of salmon. Meal prepping salmon for the whole week just doesn’t sound good to me, especially if you’ve seen how much it costs lately. So this is a game-changer for me.
Also, I am huge on dietary diversity and Animal provides its EFAs from 7 different sources: flaxseed, borage, safflower, anchovy, mackerel, sardine, and tuna.
How to incorporate Animal Omega into your bodybuilding regimen?
EFA supplements and bodybuilding go hand in hand, but consistency in doing the right things is what strings together success. Be consistent in taking one pack of Animal Omega everyday. You can take the full pack with any meal or, if you prefer, divide the pills up and spread them out amongst different meals throughout the day
This is not a supplement I see as situation based or only in offseason or prep, but used year round, every single day. Personally, being a large bodybuilder and putting myself through the rigors of intense training, I prefer taking two packs per day. Two packs per day is not for everyone, but know that it is okay to bump it up to that level if needed.
Lastly, don’t pass on your EFAs. Every 1% difference adds up in the pursuit of physique greatness. Animal Omega is a powerful asset in your journey to the upper echelon.
