Arachidonicphobia is the fear of Arachidonic acid, which is one of the essential fatty acids required by most mammals. If you knew about Arachidonic acid, you'd make sure you ate it every day.
Arachidonic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is present in the phospholipids (especially phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositides) of membranes of the body's cells, and is abundant in the brain and muscles.
In addition to being involved in cellular signaling as a lipid second messenger involved in the regulation of signaling enzymes.
Arachidonic acid is necessary for the repair and growth of skeletal muscle tissue. One of the lead researchers of the Baylor study on arachidonic acid, Mike Roberts MS, CSCS, has authored an article published under the title Arachidonic Acid, The New Mass Builder explaining the role of this nutrient in muscle anabolism, and its potential for the enhancement of muscle size and strength.
The concept of the "no pain, no gain" paradigm is simple: a training stimulus that does not elicit localized inflammation and soreness will not yield optimal muscle growth. So, what about arachidonic acid's role in muscle inflammation? Well for starters, arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) is an essential Omega-6 (1-6) polyunsaturated fatty acid that is abundant in skeletal muscle membrane phospholipids (figure 2). It is also the body's principle building block for the production of prostaglandins, which are known to have various physiological roles including a close involvement in inflammation.
Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that the prostaglandin isomer PGF2a has a potent ability to stimulate muscle growth. As such, arachidonic acid is a regulator of localized muscle inflammation, and may be a central nutrient controlling the intensity of the anabolic/tissue-rebuilding response to weight training."
Arachidonic acid is one of the most abundant fatty acids in the brain, and is present in similar quantities to DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The two account for approximately 20% of its fatty acid content[8]. Like DHA, neurological health is reliant upon sufficient levels of arachidonic acid. Among other things, arachidonic acid helps to maintain hippocampal cell membrane fluidity[9]. It also helps protect the brain from oxidative stress by activating perioxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-y[10]. ARA also activates syntaxin-3 (STX-3), a protein involved in the growth and repair of neurons[11].
Arachidonic acid is also involved in early neurological development. In one study funded by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, infants (18 months) given supplemental arachidonic acid for 17 weeks demonstrated significant improvements in intelligence, as measured by the Mental Development Index (MDI)[12]. This effect is further enhanced by the simultaneous supplementation of DHA and ARA.
Arachidonic acid, it's as terrifying as cholesterol and other basic nutrional building blocks in your body.
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