Did The Pittsburgh Steelers Have A Secret Weapon

Posted: March 8th, 2009 | Author: Dr. Bill | No Comments »

I’m getting ready for another road trip, and then I’m going to be settling in for a couple of months in Long Island. Hopefully Spring isn’t far off, and the sunshine is coming quickly. Really quickly, because these bones don’t like the cold much anymore.

I found a very interesting article today, published in the inaugural issue of Sports Health: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. It’s a medical publication, and wouldn’t have much appeal for the average sports fan.

To prove my point, what I read was titled “Evaluation of Lipid Profiles and the Use of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acid in Professional Football Players.” I am sure most of you would have opted for the box score of a Celtics game as more interesting, but this sort of stuff fascinates me. By now you might have guessed I’m slighty nerdish. But, it all works in your favor.

To make it easier for you to understand, 36 members of the Steelers were given pharmaceutical grade fish oil, and then evaluated using what is called a VAP(R)Cholesterol Test. What they were looking for was emerging cardiovascular risk factors, and determining whether omega 3 EFAs (essential fatty acids), found in pharmaceutical grade fish oil can reduce these factors.

During the period of the study each participant in the treatment group was given 2560 mg per day of mixed EPA/DHA omega 3 fatty acid supplements.

According to Dr. James Erlich, the Chief Medical Officer of Atherotech, a partner in the study, professional football players are statistically at higher than normal risk for future cardiovascular disease and sudden heart attack.

It isn’t hard to figure out why, just by looking at the bodies when they line up to play. These guys are huge, and linemen often are considered “light” at 280 pounds. The 300 pound lineman, and up, is extremely common in professional football. When these guys stop playing, all this excess weight catches up with them fast.

The VAP Tests determined that pharmaceutical grade fish oil improved good cholesterol in Steeler players, and lowered damaging particles and triglycerides. Elevated levels of triglycerides (ie., animal fats) are associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The pharmaceutical grade fish oil taken by the Steelers may not have benefited them in the game against the Cardinals, but it surely benefits them in the much longer game of life. These guys are big, strong, tough, and a little crazy. You have to be to play professional sports.

And the fact is, many of them die much too young, often from heart attack and stroke. Giving these Sunday warriors pharmaceutical grade fish oil is a big step in the right direction.

Pharmaceutical grade fish oil isn’t just for professional athletes, big guys that weigh 300 pounds, or more. It helps virtually everyone who takes it some way, from stopping migraines to helping quell joint pain to assisting in the flushing of your arteries.

If you want to extend your reservation at this grand hotel, get some now, and keep taking it.

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