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The Essential
EFA Stack For Serious Lifters!
Essential.
What is essential is core or critical. What is essential is needed day
in and day out, it is useful at regular intervals, and it is integral
to optimal performance. What is essential is foundational. The weights
are essential, your desire is essential, the right food is essential.
Beyond that, Animal has brought you the foundational products, the year
round supplements deemed necessary to your consistent growth and progress.
Those that don't need to be cycled. Products like Pak, Flex, Nitro and
Pump. To this essential category we now welcome Animal Omega, "The
Essential EFA Stack". Animal Omega is the ultimate in essential fatty
acid supplementation.
If you're
looking to pack on lean muscle mass, add on quality size, or even cut
down, ya gotta first take a look at your diet. No matter what your goals
are, your quest for the ultimate physique begins and ends with the diet.
In other words, the foods you eat. Tailoring the right meals will yield
the right results in the gym. Food... Yeah, when you get down to the basics,
it's quite simple--to pack on mass, ya gotta take in more quality calories
throughout the day. And vice versa, to cut down, ya gotta consume fewer
calories, but also from quality sources. And of course keep up the lifting
and cardio. Building a solid physique doesn't just stop once you leave
the gym, it essentially begins and ends with your diet and nutrition which
is a 24/7 job.
When it comes
to diets, for the most part, most opt for a low fat, moderate protein,
moderate carbohydrate approach. "Trimming the fat" was seen
as an integral part of living a healthy lifestyle and shedding the pounds.
This is the old school approach, and one put forth by many champions.
This was seen throughout the 80s and 90s with the rise of low-fat foods
coming onto the market and getting heavily promoted in the news. But as
years went on, obesity became more of an epidemic and caused the folks
in the nutrition industry to look into it. People weren't eating fat much
anymore. They shouldn't be getting fat. Right? Wrong.
Recently
it was found that low fat diets weren't all they were cracked up to be.
Low-fat diets appear to not protect against heart attacks, strokes, or
cancer, a major study found, contradicting what had once been promoted
as one of the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. Plus low fat diets
so often translated to lowered levels of the hormones most critical to
strength and muscle growth-obviously a huge disadvantage to serious iron
athletes.
Long story
short, this science just further solidified what a number of nutritionists
and doctors have been promoting for years-that there is an important role
for fats in the diet and they shouldn't be shoved to the background, but
instead brought into the limelight. In other words, "fats" in
general aren't the problem. It's certain fats which create the issues.
Other fats are, on the contrary, important. Over the years, researchers
have found that there are numerous health benefits of certain fats, the
essential fatty acids. In other words, it shouldn't be about trimming
all the fats from the diet. Cutting back on saturated and trans fats,
yeah. But you should actually start using or upping the intake of EFAs,
on the other hand.
EFAs are
those necessary fats that we as humans are unable to synthesize in our
bodies and must be obtained from either diet or supplementation. Just
like essential amino acids (EAAs as found in Animal Nitro), and other
essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, we need optimum
amounts in order for the body to function properly, let alone to make
gains in lean mass. Getting the proper EFAs isn't always easy, especially
when they are hard to obtain with a typical diet. A typical diet consists
of an overabundance of saturated fats, trans fats, and those fats from
plant sources (think of common cooking oils) usually overloaded with omega
6 compounds, as they are the easiest and most economical to get your hands
on. Now don't get me wrong. Omega 6s are important, as they are EFAs too.
But it's not just the types of fats. It's also the ratios. More on that
later.
EFAs exert
positive effects in many areas, including thermogenesis, anabolism, hormone
synthesis, prostaglandin function, immune function, repair of cellular
membranes, enabling cells to obtain optimum nutrition and more. For the
bodybuilder, EFAs are vital for optimal metabolism, hormone production,
cardiovascular health, peak performance, reducing exercise soreness and
maximizing fat burning. It's a wonder why they are so overlooked and underutilized
by the population.
For supplementation
purposes there are only 2 types of fats that are needed; Omega 3's (n-3)
and Omega 6's (n-6). Omega 9 is necessary, yet not essential because it
can be made by the body in modest amounts. The reason why the body can't
make an n-3 or n-6 fatty acid is that human metabolism can't add a double
bond to a fatty acid that is more than 9 carbons away from the delta end
(acid end). This is also the reason why the body can't convert an n-3
fatty acid to an n-6 fatty acid. Yeah, it sounds like science mumbo jumbo,
but is important to see from a chemistry perspective why it's so hard
to obtain the right EFAs from the diet.
This is where
a supplement like Animal Omega comes into play. Sure, it ain't fancy.
No cool bells and whistles here, just the basics. It's not going to "pack
on 10 lb in a week" but long-term, it'll get ya to where ya want
to be. EFAs are needed, not just any old EFAs, but the right kinds and
the right amounts. That's what Animal Omega is all about. Omega is the
most complete EFA product on the market. It contains the right fats that
bodybuilders require. It's a full spectrum, molecularly distilled EFA
supplement, each pack containing a precise and pre-dosed ratio of n-3
to n-6. It is packed with sources of Omega 3 oils extracted from various
fish sources such as salmon, cod liver, herring, and plant-sourced omega
3s from flaxseed oil. Such a well-rounded mixture, ensures that you obtain
all of the various n-3 extracts that are so important for general health.
You get the balance of alpha linoleic acid from flax and the key fish
oil extracts, EPA and DHA.
Animal Omega
is then rounded out with key Omega 6 oils, including; borage, evening
primrose, sesamin, and CLA. Linoleic acid is the other essential fatty
acid found in nature. As said before, lack of n-6 in ones diet is hard
to come by. However, there is a specific form of n-6, gamma linoneic acid
or GLA, that is crucial for health. This is contained in ample doses in
Omega. The body uses n-6 essential fatty acids to make various prostaglandins
and leukotrienes.
Another n-6
found in Animal Omega is CLA. CLA, is touted for its ability to reduce
body fat, being anti-catabolic, acting as an antioxidant and enhancing
the immune system. CLA positively influences the metabolism and assists
with fat regulation and protein metabolism. CLA, though is not specifically
an EFA, (it's a naturally occurring fatty acid found in meal and dairy)
is an important addition to the Animal Omega formula as its health promoting
properties were too good to pass up.
Sesamin is
another hot ingredient added to the Omega formula. It's a naturally occurring
lignan found in sesame oil. Sesamin can help maximize fat loss, support
liver and kidney health and maintain healthy lipid profiles when combined
along with other EFAs as found in Animal Omega. Sesamin is touted as a
promising ingredient in the process of lean mass recomposition.
All of these
potent fatty nutrients are supported by a comprehensive nutrient transport
complex which allows for maximum absorption and utilization and transport
of Omega's essential fatty acids. L-carnitine, lipase and lecithin make
up the complex so you rest assured that the components that make up the
n-3 and n-6 complexes are actually getting into your system efficiently
and effectively. Another important aspect of this complex is the addition
of important antioxidants, Vitamins A, D and E, which ensure EFA stability
and prevents 'em from breaking down in the can. A must have for any type
of EFA supplement. This translates to ultra potent softgels right from
the get-go.
All in all,
Animal Omega provides essential nutrition for the bodybuilder. It's loaded
with all of the right fats, in a proper ratio of n-3 to n-6 to help support
high quality metabolic functioning and body recomposition. It also supports
cardio-vascular protection, a healthy immune system and overall health
and well being. It won't change your physique overnight, but it will be
an important addition to your long term physique goals.
This is a
common thread amongst the foundational Animal products. They aren't flashy
or sexy. They are complete, comprehensive, and just get the job done.
You might not "feel" them immediately, but you sure will know
it when you're not using them. They are not about style but substance.
They place function before form. They are about results, period. Bottom
line is, in the changing landscape of bodybuilding supplementation, quality
EFA use is a must if your diet is to be optimized and your goals are to
be met. That is why we bring you Animal Omega. For the Animal, the quest
to be the best is not a casual choice, not a passing fancy. Like his choice
of supplements, it is essential. Animal Omega. It's the last world on
EFA supplementation.
Animal
Omega FAQs
Q: When
using Animal Omega, do I need to supplement with any other EFAs?
A:
No. Animal Omega is complete and comprehensive. It makes EFA supplementation
easy-just pop a pack and you're all covered. Keep in mind Animal Omega
was not designed for the weekend warrior, but the serious lifter. If anything,
you could double on the "packs", but for the majority, a single
pack will be plenty.
Q: Can
Animal Omega be stacked with other Animal supplements?
A:
Absolutely. Animal Omega is a "foundational" supplement pack
and can be stacked along with any of the other Animal supplements, with
the possible exception for Animal Test. For best absorption, leave an
hour in between the time you take the Omega and any other Animal supplement.
An ideal
"foundational stack", a year round stack, would include Animal
Omega (EFAs), Animal Pak (vits) and Animal Flex (joint).
Q: When
should I take the Animal Omega?
A:
For best absorption, Animal Omega should be taken with a meal (like Animal
Pak), never on an empty stomach. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any whole
food meal will do the trick.
Q: Does
Animal Omega have to be cycled?
A:
Nope. Animal Omega, as it's a foundational supplement just like Animal
Pak, can be taken year round, 365. The key fats found in Omega are absolutely
"essential", so you want these all the time.
Q: How
many pills are there in Animal Omega?
A:
7 softgels and 1 capsule. All moderately sized and specially coated.
Q: How
long will Animal Omega last?
A:
30 packs total. At one pack per day, you're looking at about one month's
worth of EFA supplementation.
Q: Why
does Animal Omega contain flaxseed oil? If ALA has to convert (not efficiently)
to DHA/EPA, why include flax at all, as shouldn't fish oil suffice?
A:
In short, yes, the body converts ALA over to DHA and EPA, however, there
are many other essential processes in the body that require straight ALA
in order to properly function. Fish oil, though it is very beneficial
in other areas, cannot provide straight ALA, as EPA and DHA cannot be
converted reversibly back into ALA, and therefore a straight fish oil
supplement deprives the consumer of critical ALA. Omega provides a balance
of the two -- fish and flax -- to ensure that overall EFA intake is being
covered and benefits will be obtained from all angles. We leave no stone
unturned.
Directions:
Use Animal Omega as you would your regular essential fatty acid (EFA)
supplement. If this is your first time, take Animal Omega with a meal
and you're good to go. Use a pack or two daily, as you need it. Generally,
a single pack will do fine for most. Elite athletes can consider doubling
up the serving.
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