Look, Up In The Sky…It’s A Bird..It’s a…Bird?

A new article in Science Daily is reporting that the omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in animals such as cold water fish and shrimp may do more than just manage cholesterol levels and protect against cardiovascular disease.

A study of sandpipers that undertake the world’s longest annual migration (from the Canadian Arctic to their Winter condos in South America) has discovered that these little birds make a pit stop every year before beginning the long flight south.

Prior to their migration, they stop off and spend two weeks at the Bay of Fundy on the east coast of Canada.  They spend those two weeks gorging on a breed of mud shrimp that are plentiful in the Bay area.  These mud shrimp contain some of the highest concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids of any marine animal, including salmon and tuna.

Scientists postulated that the birds were loading up on the omega-3s to somehow better prepare themselves for the long flight south.  The question was, while the omega-3s have been proven to work in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, what could they be providing to assist in a marathon migration?  So, like any good scientists should, they got a grant and did some testing.

Turns out that birds who are given a diet rich in omega-3s for two weeks increase their aerobic capacity by anywhere from 58%-90%.  This capacity was measured by the level of oxygen producing enzyme related activity in the blood.  This is pretty amazing when you consider that a human undergoing intensive cardio training for seven weeks can only expect to see a 38%-76% increase in these aerobic levels.  And the birds are making those gains by just resting on their tail feathers and chowing down on shrimp.

Further studies are underway to try and isolate the particular stamina increasing effects of the omega-3s on the birds.

I’m not planning on jogging south for the Winter, but if a few shrimp help me pump out a few more miles on the treadmill, I’ll bring the cocktail sauce.

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