Many health conscience-people who exercise think that omega 3 supplementation benefits them. As fish oils are thought to be anti-inflammation (in reality immune-suppressive), exercising people tend to think that fish oil is good for exercise. One of the reasons why fish oils are not often implicated with ill health is due to the different molecules that can be generated from omega-3 and 6. For example, PGE3 can be formed from EPA and thereby stops the conversion of PGE2 from AA. Since PGE2 is implicated in different pathologies, any substance that blocks this could be regarded as healthy. PGE3 is seen as less unhealthy, and although promoted as healthy in some cases, it has many of the same adverse effects as PGE2 (PGE3 for example can increase permeability and can disrupt barrier function).
The Omega 6 to Omega 3 Ratio
Many people suggest supplementing with omega-3 to balance the excess of omega-6. The focus is on specific prostaglandins such as PGE2 (which omega-6 produces) and PGE3 (which omega-3 produces), which seem to yield favorable results. However, since omega-3 can increase inflammation and produce slightly different peroxidation products, avoiding both omega-3 and omega-6 may be more beneficial. MDA is a radical that contributes to oxidized proteins and their malfunction. The following results show the difference in MDA levels(ug/ml) between a group taking fish oil supplements and a placebo group. The judokas who took fish oil supplements had higher MDA levels compared to the placebo group. See the results below. Important to note that MDA is heavily associated with mal-functional muscles.
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