When preparing a nutritional plan for our clients, we always include a recommendation for the proper dose of fish oil. We discuss the benefits of supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids in all of our workshops, Robb Wolf talks about fish oil in every one of his podcasts and seminars and even the CrossFit Journal got in on the action a few months back, offering a free video download of Dr. Barry Sears expounding on the miracle of fish oil. The general consensus among the community is that fish oil is good for us, and we don’t get a lot of push-back from clients when it comes to actually taking the stuff.

The trouble starts when clients say, “So how much should I take?”

If you’ve heard Robb’s dosage guidelines (which is the method we use for our clients), you’ll know that while the formula is clearly spelled out, the math can be kind of complicated. “Take between 0.5 grams and 1.0 grams per ten pounds of bodyweight, using the EPA + DHA measurements per serving to determine how many pills or teaspoons you need daily.” Um, what?

If you’ve been following the 603 (our old CrossFit affiliate), you’ll know we aren’t afraid of a little math. But these fish oil dose calculations can be tricky, time consuming, and a little intimidating… until today! Yep, we’ve combined Robb’s awesome guidance with our love of math (and Melissa’s nerdy zest for spreadsheets) into…

The Robb Wolf/Whole9 Fish Oil Calculator

Just enter all your bodyweight stats (we’ve even made accommodations for kilos and stone), your Fish Oil Factor, and the details from the label on your particular brand of fish oil and the calculator will automatically generate your daily dose of fish oil.

We worked this out with Robb ahead of time, sending him a prototype and asking for his feedback. Robb wrote, “The fish oil calculator is FANTASTIC. I played around with it a bit and it seems really easy to use. I am honored you would want to slap my pseudo-scientific name on it as well! I came to those numbers by reading material from Poliquin, Berardi, and Sears, we might include that if folks are curious about it.” (Done, and done… check the links above for more information on fish oil, health and nutrition.)

We’ve tested the calculator in Firefox, IE, Chrome and Safari and so far, so good. (If you come across any issues, please email Melissa.) So go on with your Omega-3-loving self and calculate away! It’s just too bad the calculator won’t help you figure out how to pay for all that fish oil. Hmmm, maybe in Version 2.0?