Omega-3 Fish Oils

A lot has been said in the press and also in the running community about Omega-3. It is the new food type that we are all meant to make sure is included in our diets in order to be as healthy as possible.

It has a wide range of benefits attributed to it, although some of them are certainly not cure-alls.

Lowers Cholesterol

Anti-Inflammatory

Anti-Depressant

Relieves the symptom of rheumatiod arthritis

Reduces ADHD and similar disorders in children

May help with psoriasis and other skin disorders

From a runners point of view the anti-inflammatory properties are important as reducing swelling that can build up slowly can help you avoid injuries in a simple way.

So - how do you get Omega-3?

Fish oils, not surprisingly, come primarily from fish.

Tuna, salmon and other oily fish are the best sources, but soyabeans and other vegetable matter do also contain some.

You can also take it as a supplement - which can readily be bought in any health store.

How much Omega-3 do I need?

That is a bit of a million dollar question - guidelines are very vague and vary from source to source. The government have recently suggested 450mg / day as a figure for good health.

What isn't clear is whether this is a minimum or if having more will be more helpful. Some sites suggest as much as 3000mg / day as a recommended figure for the full benefits of Omega-3 to be felt.

Ideally you'll get much of this intake from food - but if not there is no particular harm (except in the wallet) to taking it as a supplement - although it can potentially lead to the "burp factor" and possibly diarrhoea if you are unlucky.

The cheapest way to take it is as cod liver oil from a bottle, but frankly unless you have a palate considerably more robust than any of us here at Momentum Sports, you'll be wanting to take it in capsule form.

Check the amount in the capsule and go from there.

The information here is written by an athletics coach who has read widely into the subject and not a sports nutritionist, so is about gearing your food and drink to the practicalities of running.