Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are nutrients that your body needs to be able to function properly. EFAs assist in muscle growth by enhancing testosterone levels. These fats are needed by bodybuilders to rebuild muscle tissues and protect joints while working out. EFAs are also required for brain functions, nerve tissue development, mood regulation, metabolism, hemoglobin production, and hormone production. On top of all that EFAs have anti-inflammatory properties, they boost your immune system, and unlike other types of fat, they are used for body functions instead of being stored as fat.
EFAs are absolutely critical to building muscle while increasing stamina required for bodybuilding. These are the building-blocks used to produce other fatty acids that your body requires for muscle growth. Without EFAs, hormones (including testosterone) necessary for bodybuilding wouldn’t be produced. EFAs assist the liver with breaking down protein from your diet to build muscle. EFAs slow digestion thereby decreasing the amounts of insulin your body requires to keep a steady level of blood glucose.
The body resists turning the energy that is derived from EFAs into body fat, instead these calories are used to increase brain function, improve joint health and decrease muscle inflammation. All of this helps you build lean muscle mass with shorter recovery periods after workouts.
The term essential fatty acid refers to two fatty acids in particular, alpha-linolenic acid (Omega- 3) and linoliec acid (Omega-6). These cannot be produced by your body. These must come from your diet or through supplements. Omega-6 fatty acid is found in many foods and rarely needs to be supplemented. If you are including nuts, cereals, whole grain breads, eggs, and poultry, in your diet you are probably getting enough Omega-6 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acid is found mostly in seeds and often needs to be supplemented. Fish and flax are the most commonly referred to sources of alpha-linolenic acid. Some other good sources are chai, kiwifruit, and meat from grass-fed sources
Omega-3 fatty acid is used by the body to make eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are the acids responsible for the benefits provided by omega-3 fatty acid. Consuming fish and flax seeds is a good way to get omega-3 fatty acid naturally. Supplements for omega-3 fatty acid are usually required when bodybuilding.
Omega-6 fatty acid is usually found in a balanced diet. Supplementation of omega-6 fatty acid should be done cautiously as increased levels of omega-6 in comparison to omega-3 fatty acids have been suggested to increase health problems including depression.
If you aren’t getting enough Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids your energy levels will decrease. If you have been eating a low-fat diet and notice that your energy levels are shot you most likely need to supplement with a source of omega-3 fatty acid, preferably flax or fish oil. Sprinkling flax seeds on your vegetables and eating flax seed bread is another easy way to increase EFAs in your diet. Once your body’s requirements for EFAs are being filled, you will notice an improvement in your results bodybuilding, especially if you had been low on these nutrients previously.
