Omega-3 fatty acids are a family of important fats that play a vital part in the development of your body. Considered to be “essential fats”, they are absolutely necessary for our survival and development.
Our bodies produce most of the types of fats needed from other fats or raw materials. Through the process of digestion, our body breaks down fats into fatty acids which are absorbed by the blood. Fatty acid molecules then join together, forming triglycerides, which are made in our bodies from the carbs we eat.
However, this does not apply to omega-3 fatty acids. Since the body is incapable of making these fats by itself, you must get them from your diet.
What makes omega-3 so special?
They are a vital part of cell membranes which are present throughout the body and affect the function of cell receptors in these membranes. Think of them as a starting point for producing hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and to fight inflammation. They also come together with receptors in cells that regulate the body’s genetic function.
So how exactly does it help?
Owing to the above effects, omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help fight arthritis, and play an important and protective role in other conditions.
Besides this, they provide an array of health benefits for people leading an active lifestyle or those looking to improve their heart health:
- They reduce risk of cardiovascular disease
- They reduce risk of blood clots because omega-3 fatty acids help prevent blood platelets from clumping together.
Besides this, omega-3 can also essentially change your fitness game entirely! Here are a few well-documented physical effects that you may experience and benefit from:
Reduces inflammation, speeds up recovery:
The two different types of omega-3s EPA and DHA, found in marine sources like fish, algae and krill, are anti-inflammatory by nature. Considering how working out is itself an inflammatory activity, adding omega-3s might be just what the doctor ordered to battle muscle soreness and swelling, or what is also called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Erratic as it is, DOMS can occur anywhere between one to several days after strenuous exercise and negatively impact your ability to keep training at a high level.
Add in a protein powder for weight gain to introduce more protein into the body which will further the body’s ability to recover from muscle fatigue.
Fuels muscle growth:
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to increase protein synthesis, a process your body experiences when it turns the protein you eat into the fuel your muscles need to grow and maintain strength. This is done by increasing muscle-building response to insulin and amino acids, both of which are released in the body during exercise. Simply put - the more omega-3s you have the better your chances are of building and maintaining muscle.
Coupling this with a good protein powder for men or a healthy protein powder for women will augment growth, providing a boost that the body needs.
Improves reflex responses for athletes:
Their ability to fight inflammation makes omega-3 fatty acids important for athletes. While any form of physical activity/exercise is good for us, it comes at the cost of adding stress to our bodies. Exercise also entails the production of inflammatory substances called free radicals, which can damage your body's cells. Omega-3 fatty acids help counteract inflammation and reduce joint pain and tenderness related to arthritis. They also help keep the lining of your arteries smooth and clear, which allows a maximum amount of oxygen-rich blood to reach your working muscles.
Helps burn fat:
Omega-3 helps burn fat by using it as energy. A whole lot of us start exercising/working out keeping the goal of losing weight in mind. The same protein synthesis logic applies here, wherein the more omega-3 you have, the smoother your body functions internally since it burns more fat for energy as you continue to exercise.
A good protein powder for weight loss (Terra Origin’s Plant Protein comes to mind) will only add fuel to the fire that helps burn fat.
Endurance training benefits:
Omega-3 fatty acids act as a vasodilator. This helps increase the movement of oxygen into the skeletal muscle during exercise. Supplementation may also contribute to lower peak heart rate, reduce resting heart rate variability, and oxygen consumption required during exercise, overall furthering your endurance throughout training.
Add the best omega 3 supplement to your daily diet to #LevelUp your physical limits even further.
Strength training benefits:
Omega-3 supplementation has been known to improve nerve conduction. This helps influence muscle activation. In fact, coupled with the decreased loss of muscle strength and delayed onset muscle soreness, it goes to increase your boundaries of strength training.
How can I add it to my diet?
While omega-3 fatty acids are considered to be essential fats, we need to add this to our diets to benefit from them, considering the body doesn’t produce these internally. Foods that are high in omega-3 include fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables.
Besides this, Terra Origin 100% Grass-fed Whey Protein and Organic Plant Protein, both include considerable amounts of omega-3 fatty acid from natural sources.
Our grass fed whey protein is primarily known to help repair and build lean and clean muscle. The presence of omega-6 fatty acid helps reduce body fat, making it a complete protein that provides the right building blocks for wellness and recovery. Sourced from cows on a pure grass-fed diet, it leaves absolutely no room for gluten, empty fillers, preservatives, side effects, is natural and non-GMO, making it the best muscle building protein and can be added to your pre workout supplements.
Our Organic Plant Protein works as a plant based protein powder that also includes the wondrous omega-3 fatty acids. One of the best protein shakes for weight loss, it is a completely vegan protein powder that is extracted from 5 organic sources, namely rice, peas, pumpkin, flax and chia. Much like its elder brother, grass-fed Whey, it is completely natural and contains no fillers or preservatives, is non-GMO and allergen-free.
In case you haven’t already, consider adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet as soon as possible to start reaping its many benefits and push your training to the next level.