Serious trainers want to find a supplement that will give them an edge. For those of us interested in positively and optimally altering body composition and maximizing our training efforts, fish oils offer several possible advantages. Here is a quick run through of their key benefits!

• The Eicosapentaenoic acid (or EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (or DHA) present in fish oils, insure that cell membranes remain healthy. These membranes are flexible and contain larger numbers of insulin receptors when healthy, and are therefore more receptive and responsive to circulating insulin. This results in decreased fat storage in the fat cells (adipocytes), an obvious benefit.

• Fish oils turn on the fat burning (lipolytic) genes and turn off the fat storage (lipogenic) genes, both vitally important in dropping body-fat!

• Increased utilisation of fat stores from the adipocytes, leading to preferential use of fat for energy. When training hard, you want your energy to come from fat rather than other fuel sources such as glycogen or protein. This reduces the levels of peripheral fat stored around your body.

• Reduced inflammation and increased pain management from physical training. This also helps with the management and recovery of injuries, allowing you to train harder, and recover quicker, leading to better, faster results!

• Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter), decreasing the incidence of depression, anxiety, and drastically reducing your carbohydrate cravings. This helps you stick to a low-starchy carbohydrate eating plan, an effective tool in decreasing your body-fat percentage.

• Fish oils are a great stress fighter. It is no secret that the higher your stress levels, the less likely you are to achieve your health and fitness goals (See article Stress in the City). Increased cortisol levels often leads to abdominal fat deposition and increased risk of injury. Supplementation with fish oils actively reduces the impact of stress hormones on the human body. Therefore, for the same amount of stress, one will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a regular basis.

Here are some very good reasons why fish oils should find there way into your daily diet. When looking at which ones to buy, make sure that they are high in EPA and DHA values, and look at an oil product as opposed to capsules; taking two spoonfuls of oil daily, in my experience, is easier and more manageable than sinking 20 capsules! If you need advice on what brands would be best for you, ask a nutritionist or your trainer, and I’m sure they will put you on the right path!