What is the function of arachidonic acid?

Arachidonic acid is actually the chemical messenger first released by your musclesduring intense weight training, controlling the core physiological response to exercise and regulating the intensity of all growth signals to follow. Also, anytime you have tissue injury, inflammation is involved in healing the wound.

Arachidonic acid is an essential fatty acid, which is consumed in small amounts in our regular diets.  It is considered an "essential" fatty acid because it is an absolute requirement for the proper functioning for the human body.  Essential fatty acids (EFA's) are polyunsaturated fatty acids that the body cannot synthesize and therefore must obtain from the diet.  

There are two families of EFAs:  omega-6 and omega-3.  The most important omega-6 fatty acids are linoleic Acid (LA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), dihomogamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), and Arachidonic acid (AA).  The most important omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish and certain plant oils.  Linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, can be found primarily in seeds, nuts, grains and legumes.  Linoleic acid can be converted into arachidonic acid.  Arachidonic acid can be found mainly in the fatty parts of meats and fish (largely red meat), so vegetarians usually have lower levels of arachidonic acid in the body than those with omnivorous diets.   

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