Omega Prime

For everything that's suggested as being good, there is usually something that's bad. It's no difference when it comes to physical fitness.

Just when you thought exercise was important in order to maintain your ideal weight, and keep you physically fit, we hear about a down side, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It's not likely that you'll ever experience DOMS, but the fact remains that it does effect many people who are determined to stay, or get in shape.

According to Wikipedia, "(DOMS), sometimes called muscle fever, is the pain or discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising and subsides generally within 2 to 3 days. It is commonly thought to be caused by increased lactate concentrations; however, this is a misconception as it has been shown elevated levels of lactic acid rarely persist after an hour of rest." [1]

This sort of muscle pain is not quite the same as the muscle pain or fatigue you experience during exercise. This delayed pain is also very different than the acute, sudden pain of and injury such as muscle strains and sprains, which is marked by an abrupt, specific and sudden pain that occurs during activity and often causes swelling or bruising.

There are no real known simple treatment for DOMS; however, several theories or home remedies, if you will, have been used to treat DOMS. Research continues on DOMS, but researchers haven't come up with a solution for a quick recovery from DOMS. Although there is no real cure, research has been focusing on "anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents."

One of the key elements of focus is omega-3. Many of us may know that omega-3s are known for their anti-inflammatory agents. That's why attention has been moving towards these broadly beneficial fatty acids.

Not only do essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are primarily found in fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and to a lesser extent tuna, help protect the heart and lower cholesterol, but now researchers are finding that they can also help cure DOMS.

A research team in Iran has published the encouraging results of a small randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Tartibian B et al. Clin J Sport Med 2009). [2]

"In this study, 27 men who had not participated in any exercise program for 60 days were asked to do bench-stepping in a way known to cause 'eccentric muscle loading', wherein the muscle lengthens as it contracts, frequently causing muscle damage and resulting DOMS." [3]

Before beginning the exercise, the men were assigned to take either fish oil (high in omega-3 EPA and DHA) or placebo pills.

"The researchers measured indirect markers of muscle soreness, including perceived pain, thigh circumference (an indicator of muscle inflammation), and range of motion in the knee joint. Compared to the placebo and control group, the men in the omega-3 fish oil group showed significant improvements 24 and 48 hours following the exercise.:" [3]

If your starting a new exercise routine, follow the advice of physical fitness experts and start slowly and and make sure you warm-up, before exercising, and cool-down, after exercising. These simple steps may prevent DOMS. If you're like me, you want to go full out right away, which is not the best way to loss weight or get in shape.

If you do happen to experience DOMS, or if your looking for an omega-3 supplement, try TriVita's Omega Prime, a supplement that supplies your daily requirements of omega-3 fatty acids.

You can find additional information on Omega Prime and all of the TriVita nutritional products by going to http://trivitaproduct.info.

Jeffrey Sloe
Independent TriVita Business Affiliate - #12871028
440-725-3729

Sources:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness
[2] Tartibian B, Maleki BH, Abbasi A. The effects of ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids on perceived pain and external symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness in untrained men. Clin J Sport Med 2009 Mar;19(2):115-9. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31819b51b3
[3] http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001546097.cfm?x=bg4sCWR,bfv5gTb0