Starlings that have more omega-6 fats in their bodies don’t seem worse off right after long flights, but over time, those fats lead to more cell damage — like a hidden cost that shows up later.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Community contributions welcome

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The energy savings-oxidative cost trade-off for migratory birds during endurance flight

Randomized Controlled Trial

Animal

2020 Dec 11

Birds that burned more omega-6 fats during long flights saved energy at first but had more cell damage later, even if they didn’t show problems right away.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

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Source Study

The energy savings-oxidative cost trade-off for migratory birds during endurance flight

Score: 14

DOI: 10.7554/eLife.60626

Similar Assertions

Birds that have more omega-6 fats in their bodies use about 11% less energy when flying long distances compared to birds with different kinds of fats — at least in starlings tested in labs.

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Starlings burn the same amount of energy at rest no matter what kind of fat they eat or whether they’ve been trained to fly — the energy savings from certain fats only kick in when they’re actually flying.

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Migratory birds burn fat to fly long distances, and when their fat has more omega-6, they use less energy to fly—but it comes at a cost: more cell damage over time. It's like getting better gas mileage in a car that wears out faster.

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