[Royd The Noyd]

I'm just posting this for reference rather then "opening a can of worms". There are a lot of holes in this from what I can see. For example long term use, timing, limited sample size, etc. Interesting either way...

Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan 30; : 17270317 (P,S,E,B,D)
Fish oil supplementation does not alter energy efficiency in healthy males.
[My paper] Murielle Bortolotti, Luc Tappy, Philippe Schneiter
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 7 rue du Bugnon, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fish oil (FO) supplementation prevents the development of obesity and insulin resistance, and upregulate the expression of UCP3 in skeletal muscle in rodents. This may represent indirect evidence that FO promotes fat oxidation and/or alter energy efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether such effects can be observed in humans. The metabolic effects of FO were assessed during exercise in order to obtain a direct measurement of energy efficiency. METHODS: Eight healthy male volunteers were studied with and without supplementation with 7.2g/day FO (including 1.1g/day eicosopentaenoic acid and 0.7g/day decosahexaenoic acid) during 14 days. Their VO(2max) was measured on cycle ergometer. Thereafter, energy metabolism (substrate oxidation, energy expenditure and energy efficiency) was assessed during a 30min cycling exercise at 50% VO(2max) performed 2h30 after a standardized, high carbohydrate breakfast. RESULTS: VO(2max) was 38.6+/-2.2 after FO and 38.4+/-2.0 (mLxkg(-1)xmin(-1)) in control conditions (NS). Basal plasma glucose, insulin and NEFA concentrations, and energy metabolism were similar with FO and in controls. During exercise, the increases in plasma NEFA concentrations, energy expenditure, glucose and lipid oxidation, and the decreases in glycaemia and insulinemia were not altered by FO intake. Energy efficiency was 22.4+/-0.6% after FO vs 21.8+/-0.7% in controls. In order to ascertain that the absence of effects of FO was not due to consumption of a carbohydrate meal immediately before exercise, 4 of the 8 subjects were re-studied in fasting conditions, FO also failed to alter energy efficiency in this subset of studies. CONCLUSION: FO supplementation did not significantly alter energy metabolism and energy efficiency during exercise in healthy humans.

[poison]

Who said it was a thermogenic?

I've never heard anyone claim anything like any of that.

[Royd The Noyd]

Originally Posted by poison

Who said it was a thermogenic?

I've never heard anyone claim anything like any of that.

That was their suggestion:

This may represent indirect evidence that FO promotes fat oxidation and/or alter energy efficiency.

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted by poison

Who said it was a thermogenic?

I've never heard anyone claim anything like any of that.

Read through some of this thread and you will find numerous claimed benefits of fish oil: Gr-Easy EJL's fish oil megadosing ala Charles Poliquin thread

I think what is worthwhile taking away from this study is to question claims about foods with net positive calorie values that supposedly encourage weight loss.

[andrew732]

why do people keep insisting it's a weight loss method, if anything it is a bulking aid, there is a trainer I know that has his athletes taking 30-40 grams of fish oil daily, and they do gain lean mass as well as strength with flexibility, also safe.

[pdx89]

fish oil never really helped me with anything, but I probly wasn't taking enough who knows?

[BigCasino]

Originally Posted by andrew732

why do people keep insisting it's a weight loss method, if anything it is a bulking aid, there is a trainer I know that has his athletes taking 30-40 grams of fish oil daily, and they do gain lean mass as well as strength with flexibility, also safe.

I heard that, and I tried it. I took 30 grams a day for two months. My joints felt great, flexibility was increased, but in terms of some sort of magical anabolic effect....... not so much. I normally take 6-10grams a day, and in terms of strength / mass I really did not notice a huge jump in going from 10/day to 30/day. Perhaps if one was on cycle, it would be of more benefit, but I train natty, and that is what I noticed.

I agree with you though that it should not be pushed as a weightloss method or thermogenic, if anything it is for bulking / body composition / overall health.

[EasyEJL]

Originally Posted by BigCasino

I agree with you though that it should not be pushed as a weightloss method or thermogenic, if anything it is for bulking / body composition / overall health.

I can definitely agree with that, its not magical but helping with joints, mood and overall health helps lead to fat loss if you are more able to do activities. But in and of itself, I dunno whether there is any direct benefit. I do see that this study just looked at oxidation, and didn't look at body composition changes or bodily weight from that summary tho.

On cycle as well it help improve HDL while keeping LDL down, so its handy for that. Overall if you look at the neolithic diet and that whole "what was our body evolved to eat", we should take in more omega 3/6/9 than most people currently do, and the fish oil is an easy way to do that. It might be that just taking the 2+g of DHA and 1.5g+ of EPA is easier as specific concentrates tho, than screwing with fish oil.

I can tell a huge difference when I'm on x-factor and not dosing fish oil vs when I am.