Fun and Fitness: Nothing fishy about this supplement

If you've ever dug through some supplement research of your own, you've come across information surrounding fish oil. This little supplement has made waves, but you're probably skeptical on whether or not you should jump into the craze. In a word, yes. In a bad joke, fish oil is off the hook!

There's nothing to be skeptical about regarding this incredible supplement. Fish oil contains essential fatty acids that have been shown to offer many benefits. Two essential omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids are termed 'essential' because we need them for proper function, but our bodies cannot produce them, thus we must obtain them through food or supplements. While there are a number of essential fatty acid supplements, such as flax and other oils, fish oil is one of the finest sources available.

Fish oil supplements provide a wide variety of health benefits. They are incredibly useful for the general population and can help everyone from athletes to sedentary individuals. Bodybuilders and physique athletes find fish oil intriguing due to potential body composition benefits, but almost anyone looking to support overall health may be interested in the fine fats from fish oil. EPA and DHA have also been suggested to increase cardiac output and stroke volume, which may help support healthy blood flow and possibly exercise performance.

We have gotten to a point where people take fish oil supplements daily like they do with multivitamin supplements — their importance is becoming common knowledge worldwide. So unless you love daily deep-sea diving, a fish oil supplement is one of the best ways to get the multiple muscle building and health benefits of essential fishy fats.