Fish oil is exalted for supplying many health benefits. Most recently, it has been advocated as the missing ingredient to one’s  muscle-building cocktail. But is there actual truth behind this claim?

A Little Bio-Background 

Let’s begin with the basics. For starters, fish oil is technically not fish oil. The fish selected for processing do not produce the oil; instead they accumulate the substance from their diet of phytoplankton and algae. Fish oil itself is a combination of two omega-3 fatty acids:  eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Without going to deep into the biochemistry, ingested EPA and DHA are incorporated into the lipid bilayer of your cells and converted into pathway-associated compounds (such as Resolvins, Protectins, and prostaglandins ) that suppress inflammation in the body.

Fish oil has is one of the most well-studied supplements in the market, examined for its effects in managing blood pressure, depression, aggression, anxiety, and ADHD just to name a few. Fish oil’s most consistent benefit is reducing circulating triglycerides in the blood stream. Excessive triglycerides are associated with increased development of cardiovascular disease.

Potent Muscle Builder?

In recent years, there has been greater advocacy for bodybuilders, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts to add fish oil to their supplement stack. This is driven by arguments for EPA and DHA increasing insulin sensitivity (critical for stimulating muscle growth) as well as reducing muscle degradation. In this sense, fish oil is both anabolic and anti-catabolic.

What does the science say? …It’s a bit complicated.

Two studies (here, here) conducted by scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in Missouri detected that EPA/DHA supplementation reduced anabolic resistance (inability to produce muscle) and increased the rate of muscle protein synthesis for adults between the ages of 25-45 and those over the age of 65.

Sounds good, right?

Well… the participants in the Washington studies’ did not exercise regularly prior to the experiments (less than 1-1.5 hours/week) and were asked not to engage in physical activities for 3 days during the trials.  Another group of researchers (here) from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence provided weight lifters 5g of fish oil or a 5g of a placebo daily and asked them to perform several sets of leg presses and leg extensions.

Their results: After the 8-week trial, there was no evidence of greater muscle mass for the gym-goers who consumed the fish oil. Additionally, a review of 12 different studies (here) failed to provide consistent evidence of fish oil increasing insulin insensitivity. Thus it seems that these omega-3s will not give you a muscle-crafting edge.

Even so, fish oil yields other health benefits (such as anti-inflammation) and may become useful for those whose natural anabolic tempo starts to decline with age. 

What to Look For in the Oil

Before we continue I must note that if fish is a staple of your diet, a fish oil supplement will not confer additional support as you are receiving adequate dosages of omega-3s. However, consider that the more fish you consume, the probability of heavy metal exposure increases.  

 If you decide to use a fish oil supplement, these are critical things to consider:

• A fish oil supplement will contain EPA, DHA, and other omega-3s. Ideally you should choose a brand whose omega-3 concentration is primarily EPA+DHA (70% or more per serving). If a brand for example has 1200mg of omega-3s with 300mg coming from EPA+DHA, then this is considered a low dosage fish oil supplement.

• You should seek a supplement that EPA and DHA concentrations are at least 150mg per 1000mg of fish oil. The higher the concentrations, the less number of servings are needed.

• The supplement should be tested for levels of mercury, PCB, and heavy metals that are associated with fishing. The International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) Program tests and certifies fish oil supplements and should be your go to if you are unsure.

• Choose fish oil supplements derived from sardines, mackerel, prawn, and cod due to their low levels of mercury accumulation. It also a good idea to see if the fish have been harvested in an environmentally sustainable manner. This should be on the label or the company’s website.

• A bit more difficult but if you can, look for the form of EPA/DHA. These forms include ethyl ester, phospholipid, and triglyceride. This is important to consider because each form has varying levels of bioavailability (amount of substance that is absorbed in the circulatory system). Of the three, triglyceride has the highest bioavailability and highest concentration of EPA/DHA.

Thanks again for visiting deals4delts and reading our articles. If you have any questions or requests for supplements that you want us to review, let us know in the comments.