Abstract
BackgroundWe previously showed 8-week of fish oil supplementation attenuated muscle damage. However, the effect of a shorter period of fish oil supplementation is unclear. The present study investigated the effect of fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for 4 weeks on muscular damage caused by eccentric contractions (ECCs) of the elbow flexors.MethodsTwenty-two untrained men were recruited in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design study and the subjects were randomly assigned to the EPA and DHA group (EPA and DHA, n = 11) and placebo group (PL, n = 11). They consumed either EPA 600 mg and DHA 260 mg per day or placebo supplement for 4 weeks prior to exercise. Subjects performed 60 ECCs at 100 % maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) using a dumbbell. Changes in MVC torque, range of motion (ROM), upper arm circumference, muscle soreness, echo intensity, muscle thickness, serum creatine kinase (CK), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assessed before exercise; immediately after exercise; and 1, 2, 3, and 5 days after exercise.ResultsROM was significantly higher in the EPA and DHA group than in the PL group immediately after performing ECCs (p < 0.05). No differences between groups were observed in terms of MVC torque, upper arm circumference, muscle soreness, echo intensity, and thickness. A significant difference was observed in serum CK 3 days after ECCs (p < 0.05).ConclusionsWe concluded that shorter period EPA and DHA supplementation benefits joint flexibility and protection of muscle fiber following ECCs.
Highlights
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids include of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3), which are mainly contained in fish oil
No significant differences were observed between the EPA and DHA and PL groups in terms of age, weight, and body mass index (BMI) (PL group, n = 11; age, 19.8 ± 1.5 years; height, 169.0 ± 7.8 cm; weight, 65.4 ± 8.4 kg; body fat, 15.7 ± 7.6 %; and BMI, 23.2 ± 3.3 kg/m2; EPA and DHA group, n = 11; age, 20.2 ± 0.4 years; height, 167.4 ± 5.4 cm; weight, 65.0 ± 8.9 kg; body fat, 17.2 ± 6.9 %; and BMI, 23.2 ± 2.9 kg/m2)
No significant difference was observed in the dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), arachidonic acid (AA), and DHA levels
Summary
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids include of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3), which are mainly contained in fish oil. EPA and DHA are known to have anti-inflammatory effects and increased red blood cell (RBC) deformability as a consequence of incorporation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid into RBC membrane phospholipids [1]. Previous studies have reported that EPA and DHA supplementation positively affect these symptoms of muscle damage [7, 9,10,11,12]. It is assumed that ingestion of EPA and DHA alleviates exercise-induced muscle damage by the incorporation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids into the muscle cell membrane. We previously showed 8-week of fish oil supplementation attenuated muscle damage. The present study investigated the effect of fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for 4 weeks on muscular damage caused by eccentric contractions (ECCs) of the elbow flexors
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