Sorting out how much and which types of fat to consume is more than bit complex. Within the polyunsaturated fats, there are two essential types called omega 3 and omega 6. The actual requirement in humans is low at about ~1% of daily energy.
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Most Americans consume 10x the amount of omega 6 they need, and this throws off the balance between omega 6 and omega 3. Increasing omega 3 status consistently leads to lower levels of inflammation, and it also has a potent effect on lowering fat levels in the blood. In addition to being linked to many chronic disease states, chronic elevations in inflammation can impair recovery from exercise, compromise adaptations to training, and increase risk of injury. Studies show that increasing omega 3 fatty acids enhances insulin sensitivity, and promotes fat burning in muscles and inhibiting fat storage. Emerging work indicates that omega 3 fats may regulate muscle growth and help during periods of muscle disuse by slowing muscle and bone loss. This could be applicable for athletes during breaks in training or layoffs due to injury where muscle loss could be significant. Omega 3 fats have also been shown to augment blood flow to muscles during exercise. Moreover, omega 3s in combination with exercise was recently shown to maximize fat loss. In addition, subjects supplemented with fish oil decreased blood triglycerides, increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and improved the functioning of blood vessels. According to recent work omega 3s were shown to decrease muscle soreness and swelling and increase range of motion after damaging exercise. How do you ensure you get a good source of omega 3s and which ones are the most bioavailable? A recent study compared the incorporation of omega 3 fats from fish oil into blood phospholipids after acute ingestion. The three formulations studied were derived from fish oil but varied in the chemical form: re-esterified triacylglycerides, ethyl-esters, and krill oil. Despite consuming identical amounts of omega 3 fats, over a period of 72 hours there was better incorporation of EPA and DHA into blood phospholipids after ingestion of krill oil. The EPA and DHA in krill oil are mainly bound to phospholipids and these results indicate that this chemical form may be more bioavailable than traditional fish oil capsules.
. Schuchardt JP, Schneider I, Meyer H, Neubronner J, von Schacky C, Hahn A. Incorporation of EPA and DHA into plasma phospholipids in response to different omega-3 fatty acid formulations - a comparative bioavailability study of fish oil vs. krill oil. Lipids Health Dis. 2011 Aug 22;10:145.
