Best Omega-3 Supplement: The Athlete's Checklist

• Not all omega-3 supplements are created equal. Products differ in EPA+DHA dose, form, third-party testing verification, freshness, and sustainability.

• The best omega-3 supplement adheres to strict athlete-grade standards.

• To understand what is in a specific omega-3 supplement, you’ll need to carefully read the label, the Supplement Facts panel on the back, and you may also want to research on the product’s website for additional information.

• Specific doses for omega-3 supplements have not yet been established. Talk to a healthcare provider about a specific dose recommended for you.

• Once you’ve identified the best omega-3 supplement for you, make sure to take it consistently. Taking it with meals can support absorption. 

Most of the time, choices are good. I like to choose where I’m going to run. I like to choose what dinner I’m making. And I like to choose what comfy cotton t-shirt I’m wearing today. What I don’t love are all the choices that come up when I’m searching for a single supplement. That’s no more apparent than when shopping for the best omega-3 supplement.

It would be fine if all I was choosing was between brands but I could be (relatively) sure that what’s within each capsule is similar enough. But with omega-3s there’s all this extra lingo on the bottle — DHA/EPA numbers, triglycerides, fish oil milligrams, sustainability, verifications, and health claims. 

What really matters and how can I use that to pick the best omega-3 supplement? One good mark is to go for omega-3 supplements that adhere to strict athlete standards. After all, it’s the athletes who are lasered into what’s on the label and what’s in the supplement — they can’t afford a contaminated or underdosed oil. 

Those same standards are ones that everyone else can hold themselves to, as well. Keep reading to learn how to quickly examine an omega-3 bottle the way an athlete does, so you can find the best fish oil supplement that supports your health and activity goals.

Listen, the “best” is a nice moniker, but it’s not a specific brand. It’s a list of 7 checkable criteria and an adherence to strict athlete-grade standards. This is how you can judge any omega-3 product. 

The best omega-3 supplement contains enough EPA + DHA per serving, comes in the right form, has verifiable third-party testing, a top-notch freshness rating, and is responsibly and sustainably sourced. If you are plant-based and avoiding fish products, it’s looking for an effective algae omega-3 for your needs. Finally, while all of this might seem like an expensive ask, some of the highest-quality omega-3 supplements have a similar cost per gram than cheaper products. The result is athlete-quality for a reasonable cost.

Here’s where you can start your product buying journey. Once you understand what you’re looking for, it’ll take 60-seconds (max) to identify a high-quality omega-3. Consider this your training cheatsheet. 

The front of the label is a great place to start, but it doesn’t tell the whole story on fish oil. You might see a number like “1,000 mg of fish oil.” That doesn’t clearly translate into EPA+DHA, which are the omega-3s you’re looking for. 

So, in the question of omega-3 vs fish oil, here’s what you need to know: “Fish oil has EPA and DHA, along with other polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids,” says performance dietitian Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, board certified specialist in sports dietetics and owner of TheSportsNutritionPlaybook.com. 

As Goodson points out, a standard 1,000 mg dose of fish oil will contain about 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA, per the National Institutes of Health. 

The amount of EPA and DHA will differ depending on brand and product. Learning how to read a supplement label will pay off. Flip the bottle around and read the Supplement Facts information. There, you should see the total amount of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, and the breakdown of EPA and DHA within. 

There are a couple different forms of fish oil: triglyceride and ethyl esther. Triglyceride is the natural form that you find in fish. In contrast, ethyl ester is a synthetic form of fish oil that’s often used in supplement formulations because it is less expensive, per a study in Foods. Given the triglyceride form is closest to what you find in fish, it’s easier to digest and absorb compared to the ethyl ester form. Ethyl esther may also cause more gastrointestinal side effects because it breaks down into ethanol during digestion.

Look both on the front of the label and underneath the Supplement Facts panel for this information. Not all supplements may include it. However, there is one clue: A supplement should list what the product contains, such as the presence of fatty fish like anchovy, herring, sardines, or mackerel. 

Also, avoid supplements that are a mix of omega 3, 6, and 9, which is offered in some products, says Goodson. “You do not need additional omega 6 or 9, you already get excessive amounts of these from the diet.”

Any supplement you purchase should have third-party testing. Third-party tested supplements should earn a certification. Athletes need to look for one of these two, says Goodson:

• NSF Certified for Sport

• Informed Sport

“Without third-party testing for the lab and product, you run a risk that a supplement could be laced with something illegal,” says Goodson. Although she says that omega-3s are a less-risky supplement when it comes to the presence of illegal ingredients, it is still critical for athletes to choose one of these designations. 

Whether you’re being drug tested as an athlete or are a recreational exerciser or generally health-conscious person, you’re well-versed to choose one with stringent athlete standards, ensuring that the supplement contains what the label says it does, is high-quality, and has high purity.

No one wants to take rancid fish oil. Truly. When oxidized, fish oil becomes musty, may make burps worse, and there are still questions about the efficacy of taking oxidized (rancid oil). What we do know is that freshness matters. 

A measure of oxidation is called TOTOX, which stands for total oxidation values. In one alarming study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements that looked at 72 omega-3 supplements sold in the U.S., 68% of flavored and 13% unflavored products exceeded the TOTOX upper limit from the Global Organization for EPA and DHA. Flavorings are known to interfere with this testing, but importantly, there are many products that maintain acceptable levels even with these added ingredients. You don’t want a product that uses flavorings to hide a lack of freshness. 

TOTOX is not readily listed on the label. This information should be found on the brand’s website. Google TOTOX + omega-3 + your brand/product. Brands that maintain purity and freshness standards and have nothing to hide should have this information readily available. If not, move on. 

Part of being a responsible consumer is knowing where your products come from. Fish are a product of their environment, too, and the ocean waters can be a source of contaminants like heavy metals.

Look for brand transparency here, including details on where the fish comes from and if it’s sustainably sourced. One third-party certification to look for is IFOS, which stands for International FIsh Oil Standards. You can also seek out this information on the product’s website if it’s unclear from the label.

If you are avoiding fish out of taste preference, “fishy burps,” or because you’re following a vegan diet, a good alternative for you is a vegan omega-3 supplement. The omega-3 oil in these is sourced from marine algae. Like fish oil, features like choosing a triglyceride version for better absorption and looking at the Supplement Facts panel to see how much EPA + DHA is in each serving is important for identifying the best vegan omega-3 supplements.

When buying omega-3 supplements, math is your friend. It’s easy to get caught up in the price per bottle, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. 

Instead, look at the price-per-gram of EPA and DHA. Here’s how to calculate this:

• Multiply the number of servings in the container by the total EPA + DHA in grams. (1600 mg, for instance, is 1.6 grams; 600 mg is 0.6 grams.) This gives you the total number of grams in the product. 

• Divide the price by the total number of grams. This gives you the price per gram.

The result may surprise you. While a pricier bottle may, in fact, cost more per gram, as you can see premium products that contain more EPA + DHA per serving may cost you only a dime or two extra per day.

People have differing nutrient needs depending on their body, habits, health, and goals. 

For general health, the NIH notes that there is only an “Adequate Intake” amount established (not an RDA), which is enough to provide “nutritional adequacy.” The number also refers to total omega-3s, which is in regards only to alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). There is not a specific recommendation for EPA+DHA omega-3s. Your needs for general health may be different, so speak with your clinician about your diet and how supplements fit in. 

As an athlete, your first priority is choosing an omega-3 supplement that adheres to rigorous testing standards, which is why a NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport third-party tested product is a non-negotiable. That alone can help you identify the best fish oil for athletes.

Omega-3s may aid athlete health in several ways, says Goodson. “Omega-3 fatty acids buffer free radicals, ‘bad guys’ that potentially cause damage to cells that may lead to inflammation,” she says. This does not mean that omega-3s directly decrease inflammation but they may have antiinflammatory benefits, which is an important distinction. In addition, DHA specifically is a major structural component of neuronal cell membranes. Research is ongoing, but there’s a possibility omega-3s may help preserve brain health and cognition, which may be important if you’re in a contact sport, Goodson explains. 

Finally, there’s heart benefits, which is great if you’re looking for the best omega-3 supplement for men. For active men, a combination of omega-3 supplementation and resistance training for eight weeks lead to improvements in “good” (or heart-protective) HDL cholesterol and decreases in “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, for an overall healthier lipid profile compared to a control (strength-training only) group, found a study in Nutrients. “Men generally run low in HDL, which is a heart health risk factor, so increasing HDL is important,” says Goodson.

A high-quality omega-3 supplement will fit the specs above like Momentous Omega-3, a sustainably sourced product that contains 800 mg of EPA and 800 mg of DHA for a 1:1 EPA to DHA ratio in its highly absorbable triglyceride form. More than that, the product carries NSF Certified for Sport and IFOS third-party certifications. For a vegan version, Momentous Vegan Omega-3 is also NSF Certified for Sport with 500 mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA per serving. For athletes looking to take a multi with an omega-3, the Omega-3 & Multi Stack is a solid option.

Omega-3s are fatty acids, and the general recommendation is to take a supplement with a meal that contains dietary fat to support absorption, says Goodson. However, if you have problems tolerating fish oil supplements (fish burps, bloating, or general GI unease) she suggests taking it before bed. “There isn’t science around taking it pre- or post-workout or at a specific time of day.”

There isn’t a specific best time to take omega-3 supplements. Most important is planning a time where you can consistently remember to take the supplement. 

To preserve freshness, store the bottle in the refrigerator after opening it. It’s still safe if it’s left out, but for best results, keep it cool.

When shopping for the best omega-3 supplement for athletes, look at the label for the true EPA+DHA dose (not just total fish oil), a triglyceride form, verified third-party NSF Certified for Sport testing, and transparency about freshness ratings and sustainability. These specs work on any brand you’re looking at, but Momentous Omega-3 and Momentous Vegan Omega-3 are two products that fit these stringent parameters.