Omega-3 fatty acids are perceived as a potential supplement that can beneficially affect performance, recovery and risk of disease/injury omega-3 fatty acids belong to the polyunsaturated fatty acid family. Although there are fatty acids of varying length, the most important are considered to be the very long chain fatty acids eicosapentanoic acid (EPA and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).
The predominant source of EPA / DHA is seafood, especially fatty fish such as mackerel, herring and sardines. Although food products such as flaxseed oil, walnut oil, sunflower oil have high amounts of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid, linolenic acid (ALA), they are not routinely consumed in large quantities.
Other foods, such as soy, pumpkin and wheat germ cereals, contain less ALA, but are often consumed in higher amounts and therefore contribute significantly to ALA intake. Although EPA can be synthesized from ALA, the conversion of ALA to EPA and later to DHA is characterized by a low conversion rate, so consumption of EPA/DHA via seafood is generally recommended.
BENEFITS OF OMEGA-3
Nutritional strategies and supplements such as Omega-3 can result in optimal training, recovery, reduced risk, competitive performance. In relation to non-athletes, the consumption of omega - 3 is shown to be effective in lowering triglycerides, reducing blood pressure, and preventing cardiac arrhythmias. In addition, it plays a key role in decreasing the potentiation of inflammation.
DAILY RECOMMENDATION
There is no standard recommendation, but between 500 to 4000mg is a safe dose. It's important to read the label of your omega-3 supplement to figure out how much EPA and DHA it contains.
These amounts vary, and the labels can be confusing. For example, a product may provide 1,000 mg of fish oil, but its levels of these two fats would be much lower.
In general, we recommend that the sum of EPA and DHA be at least 1000 mg.