Fish Oil: When to Take It
Consistent fish oil usage works wonders, but is there a best time to take it? How about a worst time? Here's what you need to know.
We're all taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement these days, probably for one of these reasons:
- Improved body composition
- Athletic performance
- Mental health
- Sexual health
- Acne reduction
- Vision health
- Longevity
By now, you've probably done some research and figured out that for most benefits you need a high-dose, self-emulsified fish oil with more DHA than EPA. That fish oil is probably Flameout DHA-Rich Fish Oil (Buy at Amazon). So, let's focus on getting the most out of your fish oil supp by getting the timing right.
The Best Time(s) to Take Fish Oil
1. With a Fatty Evening Meal
If we had to pick the best time based on the research, it would be this: Take the full dose with an evening meal containing fat.
Omega-3 fatty acids work best in the presence of other dietary fats. EPA and DHA are fat-soluble: they dissolve and absorb better in the presence of fat. That dietary fat stimulates the production of bile and digestive enzymes, which help emulsify the fish oil and aid in absorption.
But there's a caveat here: that mainly applies to generic, non-self-emulsified fish oil. If you're using a self-emulsified fish oil like Flameout (Buy at Amazon), you don't have to worry about taking it with extra fats, though you can.
How do you know if your fish oil uses an emulsifying delivery system? It'll say "Caprylocaproyl Polyoxyl-8 Glycerides" in the ingredient list. That's the same delivery system used by the pharmaceutical industry to maximize drug bioavailability.
2. Before Bed
Omega-3s are linked to better sleep quality and stress/anxiety reduction. DHA is involved in melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. A higher intake of omega-3s helps your body naturally produce more melatonin. Likewise, DHA supports the production and regulation of serotonin, which promotes relaxation. A heavy hit of pre-bed fish oil also puts the kibosh on excess inflammation (which itself interferes with sleep) and tamps down anxiety.
How About Divided Dosing?
What about the old-school recommendation of taking a fish oil capsule with every meal? You can do that, but it's not as necessary as it used to be. That advice came about because, back in the day, you needed up to a dozen non-concentrated fish oil capsules per day to get a pharmaceutical effect. No one wanted to take that many, so the advice was to divide them up. Also, back then, fish oil wasn't purified and deodorized and could upset your stomach.
Today, that's not an issue with concentrated, more bioavailable formulas like Flameout (Buy at Amazon). You only need three softgels. Plus, there's some evidence that a big "pulse" of fish oil (taken all at once) may be more effective at knocking out excess inflammation and cortisol than divided doses.
The Worst Time to Take Fish Oil
As you know, some post-workout inflammation is good: it kicks off the healing process. But untamed, chronic inflammation is bad: it causes or exacerbates just about every disease or condition that'll eventually kill you.
So, don't take your fish oil right after training. Let that "good" inflammation do its job.
Also, if you're using workout nutrition (like Surge Performance Fuel (Buy at Amazon) or MAG-10 (Buy at Amazon)), the fats in fish oil might interfere by slowing digestion.