Does the time of year change what omega 3 you need?

By Tom Francis·Updated 2026-09-03·3 sources·Editorial policy

Why this answer is different from magnesium

Magnesium losses genuinely rise in pre season, because sweat losses peak in warm weather and training volume jumps. That gives the magnesium case a seasonal shape even though the target does not move.

Omega 3 has no equivalent. It is not lost in sweat and it is not consumed faster by training. The entire case for taking it is dietary, and a player's oily fish intake does not rise in July because pre season started.

The threshold, and why it is flat

The authorised claim is that EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, with the beneficial effect obtained at a daily intake of 250mg of combined EPA and DHA.

That figure does not adjust for season, training load, body mass or position. Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil provides 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per mini softgel, which is 300mg combined and clears the threshold at one capsule a day rather than the two or three many standard strength products need.

Winter is where the gap widens

If any part of the year strengthens the omega 3 case, it is the middle of a British winter rather than pre season.

Cooking gets lazier between November and February, takeaways get more frequent, and a player finishing training at half past nine in the rain is not cooking mackerel. UK advice is at least one portion of oily fish a week and average intake falls well short of it across the population before a training schedule is added on top.

The off season point

Most players stop everything in May and start again in July. For magnesium the training argument genuinely weakens over a summer. For omega 3 it does not, because the argument was never about training.

A player who eats no oily fish in January eats no oily fish in June either. The dietary gap is identical, which makes omega 3 the product with the least seasonal logic to stopping. At 17p a day, a three month summer is about 15 pounds.

What it still cannot claim, in any month

No joint claim exists for omega 3 at any dose. No inflammation claim exists. The DHA brain and vision claims each need 250mg of DHA on its own and this product carries 120mg, so neither applies.

And there is no claim, evidence or responsible position connecting omega 3 to concussion or head injury in a collision sport, in pre season or at any other point in the year.

How it pairs across the year

The sensible in season pair is magnesium and omega 3, at 22p and 17p a day, which comes to 39p. Magnesium carries the seasonal argument through pre season and the training year, and omega 3 carries the dietary one straight through.

Adding Futuro Labs Marine Collagen at 28p takes it to 67p a day, which is a real amount of money and is worth deciding on rather than drifting into.

What to check on a fish oil, whenever you buy it

• Find EPA and DHA per capsule on the panel, not the fish oil weight on the front.
• Add them together and check the total against the 250mg threshold.
• Check how many capsules the stated figure actually refers to.
• Check the oil form: triglyceride, ethyl ester or re esterified.
• Check what contaminant testing is stated and whether it is per batch.
• Check the shell material if you avoid gelatin.
• Divide the pack price by servings for cost per day.

Where to go next

• Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil: the full labelEPA and DHA per softgel, the threshold, oil form and shell material.
• Omega 3 for rugby playersThe club diet problem and what the claims actually cover.
• Supplements through the rugby seasonHow the case for each product shifts across the year.

Questions players ask

Sources

• EFSA register of nutrition and health claims
• National Diet and Nutrition Survey, gov.uk
• Food supplements guidance, gov.uk