Find out why this acid is used in bodybuilding and how it can benefit or harm your body. For builders, arachidonic acid is a new product. As has happened with all types of supplements, the use of arachidonic acid is controversial. For some, this is an extremely effective tool, while other athletes are sure that this is another useless product. We will try to adhere to complete neutrality in this matter and tell you what benefits and harms arachidonic acid can be obtained by athletes.
What is arachidonic acid?
There is no doubt about the benefits of unsaturated fats today, as scientists have proven this fact. Now every person, and even more so an athlete, has heard the word "omega-3". There are a lot of articles on the net devoted to this substance. But omega-6 is not so well known to most people, although these substances are also very important for the body.
Omega-6 fatty acids are actively involved in all metabolic reactions, accelerate lipolysis processes, reduce the risk of arthritis, and normalize the endocrine system. When it comes to the benefits and dangers of arachidonic acid, it should immediately be said that this substance belongs to the omega-6 group.
It is this fact that, in the first place, can explain the popularity of the supplement among the builders. Note that this substance is considered indispensable, although some scientists disagree with this and are confident that it can be synthesized by the body on its own.
The benefits and harms of arachidonic acid
Now we will consider the question of the benefits and dangers of arachidonic acid from a biochemical point of view. Scientists have studied the substance well enough and most of the functions it performs are already known. At the same time, some of the properties of this compound have not yet been precisely established. Now we can safely say that arachidonic acid can be an effective means of preventing senile dementia, as well as Alzheimer's disease.
No less important is the ability of the substance to improve the functioning of the brain. This is very important with strong physical exertion, since they produce a strong negative effect on the nervous system. Arachidonic acid is also required for the synthesis of prostaglandins. These substances improve muscle function, increasing their endurance and strength.
In addition, it is thanks to prostaglandins that the muscles can contract and then relax when the load is removed. This function is of great importance for any person, and for builders in particular. Do not forget about the participation of prostaglandins in the processes of creating new blood vessels, controlling blood pressure, as well as relieving inflammation in muscle tissues.
If we talk about the benefits and harms of arachidonic acid, then it is worth noting the participation of the substance in the synthesis of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestinal tract. This suggests that arachidonic acid protects the digestive organs from the destructive effects of hydrochloric acid, which is the basis of gastric juice. In the course of recent research, scientists have discovered that all fatty acids are necessary for the recovery of muscle tissue. Another argument in favor of the need for additional intake of this supplement.
Arachidonic acid and food
Since this fatty acid cannot be synthesized by the body, food is the only source in this case. Let's find out how you can get this substance through nutrition. Arachidonic acid can be obtained from a wide variety of foods that contain fat, such as pork, eggs or chicken.
However, you should be aware that fat should be kept in small amounts in an athlete's nutritional program. Otherwise, you will not be able to gain dry mass, and it is quite difficult to get rid of excess fat. Most athletes believe that the benefits and harms of arachidonic acid are determined by the origin of the substance.
Since it is an unsaturated fatty acid, it must be considered beneficial. However, scientists have proven that there are simply no "healthy" fats in nature. If any types of fats enter the body in large quantities, then an increase in adipose tissues cannot be avoided.
It should be said about the daily requirement of the body for this substance - 5 grams. At the same time, the body needs 8-10 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids daily. In fact, with arachidonic acid, not everything is as simple as it seems. Linoleic acid, known to many athletes, can be converted, if necessary, into arachidonic acid. Moreover, the second substance is more active from a biological point of view.
The main source of arachidonic and linoleic acids is lard. To get a daily dose of arachidonic acid, you need to eat 250 grams of this product. It is quite obvious that this is not worth doing, but the fact remains. The rest of the food contains arachidonic acid in much smaller quantities. From this we can conclude that it is worth focusing on the use of linoleic acid, because the body can turn it into arachidonic acid, if the need arises. Recall that linoleic acid is found in vegetable oils. It is enough to consume 20 grams of these products throughout the day and there will be no deficiency of arachidonic acid.
The benefits and harms of arachidonic acid in bodybuilding
It's time to find out what benefits and harms athletes can get from arachidonic acid. Although this substance has been studied quite well by scientists, it has recently come to sports. We have already noted that arachidonic acid is used for the synthesis of prostaglandins. As a result, the process of production of protein structures is accelerated, hypertrophy of muscle fibers is accelerated, although the secrets of the latter process have not yet been revealed. In addition, arachidonic acid increases the sensitivity of tissues to the male hormone.
Here I immediately want to remember the athletes who train naturally. Scientifically, this property of the acid is explained by the ability to increase the number of androgen-type receptors in muscle tissue. This is precisely one of the main advantages that the so-called genetically gifted builders have.
But that's not all, because arachidonic acid stimulates the production of the enzyme phosphatidylinositol kinase. Underneath this difficult-to-pronounce substance is an enzyme that speeds up the production of IGF and insulin. All these facts should tell us that athletes practically cannot do without additional intake of arachidonic acid. And again, in practice, everything turns out to be more complicated than in theory.
It is difficult to say with complete certainty that arachidonic acid will be one hundred percent effective in the form of a supplement. If you carefully study the results of research conducted by sports food manufacturing companies. What is striking is the small number of these experiments.
The most correct decision when talking about the benefits and dangers of arachidonic acid is to study the practical experience of athletes. In the West, this supplement began to be used by builders much earlier in comparison with domestic athletes. Thus, we have the opportunity to understand the responses of the athletes.
It should be said right away that almost all builders note an increase in the pumping effect. However, one cannot say with complete certainty that all the credit for this belongs to arachidonic acid, since it is not the only ingredient. In addition, athletes often talk about increased pain after intense training, which can also be attributed to the positive properties of the supplement. There is also evidence of accelerated mass gain, but again it should be said that bodybuilders use a lot of supplements and what exactly accelerates the mass gain process is difficult to say. Be that as it may, arachidonic acid definitely deserves attention. And this applies not only to natural athletes, but also to builders using the sports farm. We have already said above that after being released from the membranes of muscle tissue cells damaged during training, the substance is converted into prostaglandins. This increases the sensitivity of tissues to male hormone, insulin and IGF.
However, this is true not only for endogenous hormones, but also for those that were introduced from the outside. It should also be noted that the body quickly consumes the supply of arachidonic acid, which is then restored for a long time.
How to take arachidonic acid correctly?
So, the benefits and harms of arachidonic acid have just been studied by us, it remains to find out how to take this supplement. Very often they are prescribed for severe pain in the muscles. This is due to the ability of this fatty acid to accelerate the regeneration processes. Recently, manufacturers have begun to often add arachidonic acid to gainers, although its content in this type of sports food is small.
During the period of weight gain, it is recommended to consume from 0.5 to 1 gram of arachidonic acid. Before purchasing the appropriate supplements, we strongly recommend that you carefully study their composition. Often, the actual concentration of this component in them is extremely low. In this situation, you need to find a supplement from another manufacturer or increase the dosage in order to teach the recommended amount of arachidonic acid as a result.
