Why Bird Fuel Matters for Long Flights
The energy savings-oxidative cost trade-off for migratory birds during endurance flight
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Birds burned less energy during flight with PUFA-rich fat, but basal metabolic rate didn’t change.
Most would expect a metabolic shift to affect resting energy use, but the efficiency gain was only active during flight—like a hybrid engine that only kicks in under load.
Practical Takeaways
Balance omega-6 and omega-3 fats in your diet to support both performance and long-term health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Birds burned less energy during flight with PUFA-rich fat, but basal metabolic rate didn’t change.
Most would expect a metabolic shift to affect resting energy use, but the efficiency gain was only active during flight—like a hybrid engine that only kicks in under load.
Practical Takeaways
Balance omega-6 and omega-3 fats in your diet to support both performance and long-term health.
Publication
Journal
eLife
Year
2020
Authors
S. McWilliams, Barbara J Pierce, Andrea Wittenzellner, Lillie A. Langlois, Sophia Engel, J. Speakman, Olivia Fatica, Kristen J. DeMoranville, W. Goymann, Lisa Trost, Amadeusz Bryła, M. Dzialo, Edyta T. Sadowska, Ulf Bauchinger
Related Content
Claims (5)
Polyunsaturated fats go bad more easily than other fats—both in your pantry and in your body—because of their chemical structure, which can lead to more damage in cells.
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.
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.
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.
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.