Micronutrients & recovery
Four weeks of daily arachidonic acid (ARA) supplementation (1.5 g/day) does not enhance the acute muscle protein synthesis (MPS) or anabolic signaling response to resistance exercise in trained men, but it does stimulate ribosome biogenesis 48 hours post-exercise.
If you are a trained man taking 1.5g of Arachidonic Acid daily, do not expect it to increase your muscle growth immediately after your workout. The study shows it has no effect on the first 4 hours of recovery. However, it might help your muscles build more protein-making machinery (ribosomes) two days after your workout, which could support long-term adaptation. Focus on your training and protein intake for immediate results; ARA is not a quick fix.
Prior ARA supplementation did not alter the acute anabolic response to RE in previously resistance-trained men; however, at 48 h of recovery, ribosome biogenesis was stimulated only in the ARA group.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with double-blind design, stable isotope infusion for MPS measurement, and molecular analysis, though sample size is small (n=19).
Source
Effect of dietary arachidonic acid supplementation on acute muscle adaptive responses to resistance exercise in trained men: a randomized controlled trial
Cameron J. Mitchell et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2018
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