Fish oil supplementation fails to modulate indices of muscle damage and muscle repair during acute recovery from eccentric exercise in trained young males

Citation

Mackay J, Bowles E, Macgregor LJ, Prokopidis K, Campbell C, Barber E, Galloway SDR & Witard OC (2023) Fish oil supplementation fails to modulate indices of muscle damage and muscle repair during acute recovery from eccentric exercise in trained young males. European Journal of Sport Science, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2023.2199282

Abstract
We aimed to investigate the influence of 4-wk of fish oil (FO) supplementation on markers of muscle damage, inflammation, muscle soreness, and muscle function during acute recovery from eccentric exercise in moderately trained males. Sixteen moderately-trained males ingested 5 g/d of FO (n = 8) or soybean oil (placebo) capsules (n = 8) for 4-wk prior to- and 3-d following an acute eccentric exercise bout. Eccentric exercise consisted of 12 sets of isokinetic knee extension and knee flexion. Indices of muscle damage, soreness, function and inflammation were measured at baseline and during exercise recovery. Eccentric exercise elicited an increase in muscle soreness (p < 0.010) and thigh volume (p < 0.001), and reduced peak isometric torque by 31.7 ± 6.9%, (p < 0.05, 95% CI 10.6–52.8) during 3-d of recovery. Blood omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration was 14.9 ± 2.4% higher in FO than PLA (p < 0.01, 95% CI 9.8–20.1). However, FO did not ameliorate the cumulative creatine kinase response (expressed as AUC; p = 0.368), inflammation (p = 0.400), muscle soreness (p > 0.140), or muscle function (p > 0.249) following eccentric exercise. FO supplementation confers no clear benefit in terms of ameliorating the degree of muscle damage, or facilitating the muscle repair process, during acute eccentric exercise recovery. These data suggest that FO supplementation does not provide an effective nutritional strategy to promote exercise recovery, at least in moderately-trained young men.

Keywords
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; muscle recovery; delayed onset of muscle soreness; muscle function

Journal
European Journal of Sport Science

People

Dr Lewis Macgregor

Lecturer in Physiology and Nutrition, Sport