Every player is a different level when it comes physical performance, they are a truly scary bunch of players. But what is it that makes them so big and muscular? What are they eating????
A quick tribute to three of the biggest Samoans out there
As far as I can see it, there are a thousand reasons to maintain a diet high in long chain omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega 3's). The list is seemingly endless:
- Reduced inflammation
- Arthritis
- Alzheimer's
- CV disease
- Metabolic disease
- Fat loss
- Muscle gain
- Hormone balance
- Sleep
- etc.
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Fat loss
- Muscle gain
- Energy levels
- Sleep
- Altered gene expression
- Fat loss
- Protein synthesis
- Improved lipid profile
- Hormone balance
The interesting fact is that when people are presented with this list and given the choice of taking these supplements or not, some people still aren't convinced.
The problem is that supplements are not drugs and they don't work in the same way. They will not have any acute effect when you take them and you probably won't notice any difference in the first few weeks. So what will convince you to take them?
I think it's all about education and specific advice.
Take someone who is interested in gaining muscle mass; when they are reading about how omega 3's will give them a better lipid profile and reduce their inflammation they are not going to be interested. However if you explain that omega 3's will help them gain muscle and get stronger, suddenly their ears will perk up.
A study published in 2011 investigated the effects of increasing omega 3's in the diet of healthy young and middle aged adults. They gave a relatively low dose, and the results were very interesting.
They found that Omega 3's alone produced no difference muscle protein synthesis (a great measure of muscle building). However when they increased the availability of amino acids in the blood and stimulated an insulin response, those who had extra Omega 3's produced more muscle tissue.
Omega 3's are an anabolic supplement!
The exact mechanism which caused this is still unknown, but ultimately that's not important. The important thing is that we know what the effects are.
The best suggestion that the authors gave for the mechanism was that altering the membrane fluidity altered the way the cell processes proteins, up-regulating synthesis.
So, if you would like to gain more muscle and be bigger and stronger than you have ever ben before, then increase your omega 3 intake. This can be achieved through either eating oily fish and wild meats, or taking an omega 3 supplement.
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