All You Ever Wanted to Know About Fish Oil

Charles Poliquin on the best supplement


The Single Best Supplement

Q: What’s one supplement that every athlete, weekend warrior, and basically any active person should be taking daily?

A: Fish oil. I was first introduced to fish oil twelve years ago by my friend Mauro DiPasquale. I was over at his house and he had fish oil on the counter. I asked him what he used it for and he said, “Charles, this is the most important supplement ever.”

He told me to go to Medline and punch in any disease known to man and the words “fish oil” beside it. He challenged me to find a study that didn’t show how fish oil could benefit in the treatment of any disease. I gave up after 86 studies!

Why is it so beneficial? It’s in our genes. Humans used to consume 300-400 grams of omega-3s per week. If we consume more than two grams a day now it’s considered a lot.

There was a study published four years ago that showed that if the US government issued three grams of fish oil per day to American citizens, then the amount of cancer and heart disease would go down by 50% within one year.

Most readers don’t care about cancer and heart disease, but they may care about this: the biggest limiting factor in naturally training people to getting lean and adding muscle is the consumption (or lack thereof) of omega-3s.

Looking at the body structure of cavemen, they had a lot of muscle mass compared to modern man. They got their omega-3s through the meats they ate. Now, they often ate what the predators left.

For example, a lion will eat an antelope from the gut on, so what’s left is the skull and long bones. Primitive man would break the skull open and eat the brains. Brains are 60% fat, and 60% of that is DHA, the omega-3. What they’ve found is that the more brain-sucking was going in those potions, the faster the IQ went up.

“I’ve lost my appetite.”

Primitive man would also break the bones of the prey and suck the marrow, also rich in omega-3, DHA particularly. DHA is the omega-3 most responsible for brain development while EPA is most associated with reducing inflammation.

My athletes would often recognize each other when sitting around a table because those I’d be training would break out the fish oil during the meal. That’s how I got the nickname “the fish oil guy” among athletes. But that’s also how I get people so lean so fast.

Anyone who wants to put on muscle and lose fat should be on 30-45 grams of fish oil per day. That’s just three tablespoons of fish oil. It would be a pain in the ass with capsules though because that’s around 45 capsules per day, but it’s easy with a straight oil.

Flameout is also a great product. I like the addition of CLA to the EPA and DHA because most of the potion is deficient in CLA. When I travel abroad I bring four or five bottles of Flameout instead of my liquid fish oil and take four or five capsules a day.

For those of us interested in positively and optimally altering body composition and maximizing our training efforts, fish oils offer thirteen possible advantages:

  1. Cell membrane health: EPA and DHA insure that cell membranes remain healthy. This means that the membranes are flexible and contain larger numbers of insulin receptors that are more receptive and responsive to circulating insulin. This results in decreased fat storage in the adipocytes (fat cells).

  2. Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes).

  3. Fish oils turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes).

  4. Fish oils diminish C-reactive proteins, a newly identified risk factor associated with various inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and diabetes.

The DHA fraction of the fish oil seems to be one most responsible for that protective effect. DHA also has the best ability to reduce blood pressure.

  1. Increase utilization of fat stores from the adipocytes.

  2. Preferential utilization for energy production once stored in the adipocytes.

  3. Reduced inflammation from physical training.

  4. Pain management from the reduced inflammation.

  5. EPA regulates blood supply to the brain which is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory, and cognitive function.

  6. Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter). Therefore, fish oils will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack, and reduce carbohydrate cravings.

  7. Fish oils will improve your cardiovascular risk profile by lowering VLDL, triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and increasing HDL levels. Combining fish oils with plant sterols will improve lipid levels even more than either alone.

  8. Fish oils can also decrease blood pressure by several mechanisms. These include increases in the vasodilatory compound, nitric oxide, reducing vascular inflammation, blocking the constrictive elements in the vascular wall such as the calcium channels reducing blood viscosity, and inhibiting a blood vessel constrictor (thromboxane).

Lipoprotein (a) is another CVD predictor that can be lowered by fish oils (a 19% reduction was seen with natural, stable fish oils and just 4% with a highly purified fish oil).

  1. Fish oils are a great stress fighter. Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids inhibits the adrenal activation of steroids, aldosterone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine (catecholamines) elicited by a mental stress, apparently through effects exerted at the level of the central nervous system.

Therefore, for the same amount of stress, one will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a regular basis.

In short, fish oil is my number one supplement recommendation!

We all know the benefits of fish oil by now (but thanks for posting that). The question I have is there any difference between using the oil or just sticking to caps? I find caps more convenient to take but I would be interested in any thoughts anyone else has on that topic.

nice article thanks.

30-45g/day seems like a lot, and even with Flameout, that would be crazy expensive

I found it easier to consume salmon or trout three to four times per week instead of fucking around with oils and capsules.

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
nice article thanks.

30-45g/day seems like a lot, and even with Flameout, that would be crazy expensive[/quote]

Poliquin recommends a lot of extreme stuff, in my opinion. He once recommended, I think it was in his book, up to 20 grams of creatine per day.

The other problem with adhering to authors’ advice is that they, especially Poliquin, give so many supplemental, dietetic, and training advice that I would lose my fucking mind if I were to follow all of it!

I meant “so much”. Typo.

my friend works at Rite Aid so when i get the chance i just steal it.

i used to buy it before but its so damn expensive i couldnt keep up.

i took the liquid before but it tasted like actual fish which sucks.

i think those numbers for curing cancer and shit are blown up. i highly doubt fish oil is that miraculous. i never noticed anything amazing on it but i guess its kind of hard to see or feel anything with something that mostly deals with internal stuff.

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
my friend works at Rite Aid so when i get the chance i just steal it.

i used to buy it before but its so damn expensive i couldnt keep up.

i took the liquid before but it tasted like actual fish which sucks.

i think those numbers for curing cancer and shit are blown up. i highly doubt fish oil is that miraculous. i never noticed anything amazing on it but i guess its kind of hard to see or feel anything with something that mostly deals with internal stuff. [/quote]

Agreed. Poliquin makes outrageous statements much of the time.

He once stated that he trained a female athlete that had thighs that rivaled Tom Platz.

He once stated that he worked with a male strength athlete that had thighs bigger than Ronnie Coleman.

He has recommended 20 to 40 grams of creatine per day.

He has recommended outrageous amounts of fish oil.

He has recommended beating the shit out of yourself to the point of depression and tremors in order for a supercompensation effect to occur.

He has recommended to shut off all electronical appliances in your room when sleeping. Great, I’d be late to work enough to get fired.

He has recommended exotic meats, most of which a bodybuilder could not afford considering the amount that they do eat.

Has this guy ever thought that its not the miraculous effect of fish oil that made caveman lean and muscular, but the fact that caveman did not live in an overly tech oriented world in which we sit on our fat asses all fucking day!

We sit in cars, at desks, at home watching the tube! We order value meals at BK, huge appetizers and entrees at Friday’s, plates of pasta at Italian restaurants, and so on.

Fish oil is great but I do think this stuff is overrated.

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
nice article thanks.

30-45g/day seems like a lot, and even with Flameout, that would be crazy expensive[/quote]

What do you mean even with Flameout?

Particularly with Flameout. I still probably get the equivalent of DHA and EPA in 30-45g of fish oil during periods. 6-9 pills comes from Flameout.

Just out of curiosity, why is Charles still considered a respected trainer?

He makes outlandish claims on a very consistent basis but for some reason people still consider him to be legitimate source of info

It isn’t that his ideas are necessarily wrong, and most if not all have a legitimate source in reality, but the way he promotes them and the claims he will frequently make are far worse than any supplement company ad.

[quote]tweekafaik wrote:
Just out of curiosity, why is Charles still considered a respected trainer?

He makes outlandish claims on a very consistent basis but for some reason people still consider him to be legitimate source of info

It isn’t that his ideas are necessarily wrong, and most if not all have a legitimate source in reality, but the way he promotes them and the claims he will frequently make are far worse than any supplement company ad.[/quote]

Amen.

I feel that he, along with Scott Abel, are the most irritating strength training writers out there.

Interesting comment Bricknyce.

I feel that he, along with Scott Abel, are the most irritating strength training writers out there.

I haven’t posted too much on this site yet but certainly have my favourite authors. I’ve always felt that a good trainer, much like any good communicator can keep things very straightforward and to this end Thibs gets my vote.

Woah, never heard people so anti-Poliquin.

You have to take into account the effect many of his ideas had on the training world as a whole before dismissing him as “irritating”.

The guys results speak for themselves. I for one have been a satisfied customer of his various books and training ideas and find this dismissal of him in this thread pretty silly.

His “claims” are just part of his writing style, I am amazed you took it all at face value.

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
my friend works at Rite Aid so when i get the chance i just steal it.

i used to buy it before but its so damn expensive i couldnt keep up.

i took the liquid before but it tasted like actual fish which sucks.

i think those numbers for curing cancer and shit are blown up. i highly doubt fish oil is that miraculous. i never noticed anything amazing on it but i guess its kind of hard to see or feel anything with something that mostly deals with internal stuff.

Agreed. Poliquin makes outrageous statements much of the time.

He once stated that he trained a female athlete that had thighs that rivaled Tom Platz.

He once stated that he worked with a male strength athlete that had thighs bigger than Ronnie Coleman.

He has recommended 20 to 40 grams of creatine per day.

He has recommended outrageous amounts of fish oil.

He has recommended beating the shit out of yourself to the point of depression and tremors in order for a supercompensation effect to occur.

He has recommended to shut off all electronical appliances in your room when sleeping. Great, I’d be late to work enough to get fired.

He has recommended exotic meats, most of which a bodybuilder could not afford considering the amount that they do eat.

Has this guy ever thought that its not the miraculous effect of fish oil that made caveman lean and muscular, but the fact that caveman did not live in an overly tech oriented world in which we sit on our fat asses all fucking day!

We sit in cars, at desks, at home watching the tube! We order value meals at BK, huge appetizers and entrees at Friday’s, plates of pasta at Italian restaurants, and so on.

Fish oil is great but I do think this stuff is overrated. [/quote]

AGREE - Poliquin usually exaggerates.
But fish oil certainly does have some extra nice properties.
And I don’t find Poliquin iritating, his routines for arms, shoulders are great stuff, among many other.

Where can I buy liquid fish oil? Grocery store? What kind?

Well Thib is certainly a fan of Poliquin’s, and if you follow his results in the thread entitled: “Thib Results: Poliquin’s Insulin Protocol,” you’ll see at least one reason why.

There is no doubt that Poliquin is a dedicated to his trade. The guy has experience, knowledge, and proficiency and from what I gather works A LOT and works damn hard and is fully dedicated to his trade! That alone stirs a great deal of admiration and respect from me. Actually, if it had not been for Poliquin’s writings that I discovered at 20 years old, I probably would have not been exposed to T-Nation and other great strength training material and writers. I have learned quite a bit from Poliquin.

Perhaps irritating is not the correct word. Pedantic or silly at times might fit.

Both are good, knowledgeable guys in my opinion. I just find a great deal of their statements to be silly. I have already mentioned what I think that Poliquin has said that is silly. He also once stated in clever words that bodybuilders have fairly low IQs:

“Shave my forearms? If shaving body parts was my thing, I would be parading around the EAS booth at the Arnold Classic with plucked eyebrows and hair groomed by Eduardo of Manhattan, saying stuff to my cronies like, “Get the plane ready.” This would no doubt impress many members of the bodybuilding audience, many of whom have an average IQ that’s lower than that of a WWF audience. That is, an IQ of 5 (it takes 6 to bark).”

After this bashing of bodybuilders, I do not see why he would continue to write in bodybuilding publications if he feels so low of them. Many strength training writers do this. State how the training methods of BBers are faulty and that BBers are a bunch of dumb jackasses who don’t know how to train and then continue to write in BB publications. Strange.

Abel says weird shit too. I have commented on my problems with his writing style in another thread on here. Stating that Dorian trained “wrong” is quite funny. Or that if Dorian adopted a different training style, he could have been better. Are you kidding me? Come to think of it, anyone criticizing the method that lead to someone to multiple Sandows is silly to me. He states Dorian also “got help” several times in his writings and this is what lead him to attain Olympia status. Dorian NEVER had a nutritionist or a trainer. Mike Mentzer was not his coach. They shared a HANDFUL workouts together in Cali. That was it. Mentzer did not train him or nutritionally advise him.

The guy has stated other off the wall shit and his articles are unreadable to me at this point. He once stated that his Innervation Training methodology was the only total, complete methodology in all of strength training.

As stated before, both are probably good guys. I just think a lot of what they write stinks!

My favorite writers for BB are:
Lonnie Lowery
CT
Tom Venuto
Layne Norton
Daniel Duchaine
John Berardi
Dorian Yates
Dante Trudel
Ron Harris

As you can see, all of them are INVOLVED in bodybuilding and they do not aim to confuse readers in their writings.

the thing with Poliquin is your right he says soem wierd shit, but also sometimes when he states something like consume 20g of creatine. The reason probably is is some of his athletes had gains using that high a dosage so he advises to TRY it. he doesnt say every person has to.

Also when Poliquin writes he writes things to prefect the body. Like with turning off all the electronics. It probably did help, but he doesnt write things to be able to fit into your life. He says things like that because its the best possible thing for your body and it up to you to fit it into your life.

[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
My favorite writers for BB are:
Lonnie Lowery
CT
Tom Venuto
Layne Norton
Daniel Duchaine
John Berardi
Dorian Yates
Dante Trudel
Ron Harris

As you can see, all of them are INVOLVED in bodybuilding and they do not aim to confuse readers in their writings.

[/quote]

Thanks for the kudos. Yeah, these guys are great! But I think that it’s a bit unfair to label Charles and anti-bodybuilder. He is very good friend with Milos and has given seminars with him in the past. Some of his good friends also include Larry Vinette, one of the top natural bodybuilder in the world, and Dan Berube who is a national level bodybuilder and has trained several top bodybuilders, including some pros.

He also talked very highly of guys like Dennis James to me.

And if you go to his seminar you’ll see that around 75% of the attendees are/were or are working with competitive bodybuilders.

In fact, if more bodybuilders applied his ideas (especially about his supplements regimen) there would be much less abuse of illegal substances.

He is a very funny and sarcastic person… heck he even make fun of me in some of his conferences. :slight_smile: People tend to misinterpret that and see it as being arrogant or aggressive. Quite the contrary.

He is also one of the most open-minded coaches out there. If you have something about training to say, he will listen. If he can learn something he will gladly apply it and give credit where credit is due. He is truly passionate about all that is performance improvement and never dismiss anybody or any theory off the bat. However if an idea doesn’t make sense, he will not be nice!!!

Heck, I told him about my results with his insulin protocol, and his answer what that they were ‘‘decent, but not unexpected or out of the ordinary with his protocol, and that a pro football player actually lost 25lbs of fat in 4 weeks while gaining muscle.’’

Was he trying to put me down? Not at all because 2 weeks later he used my example as one great success of the Biosignature protocol in one of his seminar.

It’s somewhat of a trend… most top coaches seems to be sarcastic by nature.