WHAT IS ARACHIDONIC ACID?

WHAT IS ARACHIDONIC ACID?

ARA is the primary fatty acid responsible for inflammation in muscle tissue. This 20-carbon omega-6 fatty acid resides in the cell membranes of our muscles, known as the sarcolemma. When your muscles are damaged by lifting weights, certain enzymes flock toward the affected area and "free" the ARA from the membrane.

When this happens, the freed ARA gets broken down and used to create small localized hormones called prostaglandins, which more directly cause the inflammation and pain we feel post-training. That may sound negative, but on the flip side, these inflammatory mediators also signal the body's repairing response in muscle tissue. Additionally, they play a critical role in increasing the amount of nuclei in our muscle cells, ultimately boosting muscle protein synthesis.

Posted in News By Element Nutraceuticals