T Nation

Fish Oils - How to Pick the Best for your Buck

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Can anyone tell me what to look for when shopping for fish oils?

Like every other supplement, there are so many out there and it’s tough to really know if you’re getting your moneys worth…

I’ve had to play the trial and error game with whey protein in the past until finding as well as pre-workouts and so on…

Finally with those two I have found what I like best thus far.

Looking to start taking fish oils as there are some good benefits and it is something highly recommended for daily supps.

What sort of effects might you notice (if any) to really tell if the supplement is working well with you for fish oils?

For instance, some whey proteins make me feel way bloated or might even send me to the bathroom… Aside from my current flavor getting redundant, I now use NO Standard Gold whey. Rule 1 has me curious to try as well.

#2

Weird question to ask on this site.

Metabolic Drive and Flameout.

Look for quality. I look for high EPA and DHA. Like Flameout.

#3

Fish oils aren’t the type of thing you “feel” typically, like a stimulant pre workout or whatever. To say there are “good benefits” to fish oil is an understatement. What you SHOULDN’T feel when taking a good fish oil is joint pain among other things. The benefits for your brain and hormone function are also significant.

When looking for the best fish oil on the market, my method is to buy Flameout.

#4

Got ya. What I mean by “feel” is like some people express feeling more energetic and what not when they take multi-vitamins as example… I myself don’t feel much change when taking a multi-vitamin…

I’ve taken fish oils before, but never consistent enough so was wondering if having more DHA/EPA would have a significant effect in terms of noticing anything with your body and how it feels.

Flameout definitely has significant amounts. The one I currently have in my bag is EPA 360 mg DHA 240 mg… Extremely low in comparison lol.

#5

Ah I gotcha. Yeah with the Flameout I just notice my joints feel good, inflammation stays under control. During my prep I was getting some serious knee pain after hack squats and heavier leg pressing, upped the Flameout dose a little and within a week it was gone.

Before Flameout I was taking the average “good quality” fish oil you’d find in the vitamin section of the supermarket, I think I calculated it would take 4 of those to equal the contents of ONE Flameout. Just like whey protein, fish oil supplements are not created equal. Again aside from the health and brain benefits, high quality fish oil is essential for joint health, and for those of us who train consistently for the long haul it’s a no brainer.

#6

I’ll probably give these a go soon then.

I just recently purchased Optimum Nutritions multi-vitamin, noticed a lot of reviews were very good and the majority of people said they felt increased energy… After a week 1/2 taking them at 2 instead of 3 pills I felt slightly tired in the day… Not sure if it was that or another reason so I went off them to see my energy levels and I sort of bounced back…

I’ll be starting them again soon to see how I start to feel and gauge if it was that or maybe I was just more tired from other things.

I’m skeptical about multi-vitamins for the most part. I think it’s all about money and question if people really benefit from it or not.

#7

I agree completely on the multi-vitamin, lots of BS IMO. If people feel “increased energy” it’s probably because there’s a lot of vitamin B. I think certain vitamins have merits for sure, but I prefer to supplement vitamin specific, not a multi. So I’ll take Flameout, Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex.

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#8

I agree with that for sure.

#9

Consider Superfood instead of multi.

Actually, just throw the multis out.

Look for a 5000 ORAC ( like superfood) product once a day.

More expensive you say? Yeah, I like to save a buck when it comes to my body… I mean, I won’t use it forever… ( heavy sarcasm, By the way)

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#10

Labdoor.com independently tests many different supplements, including fish oil; although I have yet to see them test anything from BioTest. You could buy BioTest supplements and trust that they put in their supplements what they say they do, or you could use an independent site that tests various manufacturers for their product quality and label claims. I’m not saying FlameOut isn’t the best on the market, I just haven’t read any independent tests about its purity or label claims.

#11

Is Biotest fish oil good? I want to start using fish oil and not sure which one or how much to take.

#12

If the label is accurate, FlameOut from BioTest probably the best on the market. My only issue with it is that it’s not independently verified.

#13

I heard flameout has a lot of DHA. I wonder if that makes a difference.

#14

The dose is high but that’s because it’s 4 pills per serving. I look to get around 3 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day; you may need more depending on your goals, but not less. Some people love to eat 10-20 grams of fish oil supps a day as a way to lose fat - I think this is just a really good way to free up some space in your wallet. FlameOut has CLA in it as well, so instead of having to buy CLA and omega-3s, FlameOut has both.

#15

But the DHA is so much higher than the EPA compared to every other brand. I wonder why they did that?

#16

Did you read the explanation on the details? It’s all there.

#17

Yes thank you. It’s completely clear to me now.