Effects of DHA-Rich n-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and/or Resistance Training on Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Overweight and Obese Post-Menopausal Women.

Elisa Félix-Soriano,Javier Ibáñez-Santos,Silvia Lorente-Cebrián,Marta Cuervo,Iñaki Goikoetxea Galarza,Alejandro Martínez-Gayo,María J Moreno-Aliaga,María José Cobo,Adriana Pérez-Chávez,Pedro González-Muniesa,Natalia Palacios Samper,Marisol García-Unciti

doi:10.3390/nu13072465

Abstract

Resistance training (RT) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) supplementation have emerged as strategies to improve muscle function in older adults. Overweight/obese postmenopausal women (55–70 years) were randomly allocated to one of four experimental groups, receiving placebo (olive oil) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich n-3 PUFA supplementation alone or in combination with a supervised RT-program for 16 weeks. At baseline and at end of the trial, body composition, anthropometrical measures, blood pressure and serum glucose and lipid biomarkers were analyzed. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and strength tests were also performed. All groups exhibit a similar moderate reduction in body weight and fat mass, but the RT-groups maintained bone mineral content, increased upper limbs lean mass, decreased lower limbs fat mass, and increased muscle strength and quality compared to untrained-groups. The RT-program also improved glucose tolerance (lowering the OGTT incremental area under the curve). The DHA-rich supplementation lowered diastolic blood pressure and circulating triglycerides and increased muscle quality in lower limbs. In conclusion, 16-week RT-program improved segmented body composition, bone mineral content, and glucose tolerance, while the DHA-rich supplement had beneficial effects on cardiovascular health markers in overweight/obese postmenopausal women. No synergistic effects were observed for DHA supplementation and RT-program combination.

Highlights

Menopause is a critical stage in the physiological process of aging among women, with final menstrual period being a marker of aging and health [1], and age at menopause influencing the risk for all-cause mortality [2]
Baseline characteristics of the study subjects were similar between the four experimental groups, except for the basal glycemia, that was moderately lower in the P group than in the P+resistance training (RT) and n-3+RT groups (Table S2)
We describe the effects of a 16-week intervention with a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich supplement combined or not with a RT program on body composition, serum glucose and lipid metabolism biomarkers, blood pressure and muscle strength and quality in overweight and obese postmenopausal women

Summary

Introduction

Menopause is a critical stage in the physiological process of aging among women, with final menstrual period being a marker of aging and health [1], and age at menopause influencing the risk for all-cause mortality [2]. Redistribution of fat mass from gluteo-femoral depots towards the visceral cavity, alongside with muscle and bone mass loss, give rise to a constellation of unfavorable metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance, unhealthy lipid profiles, abnormal glucose metabolism and decreased metabolic rate [3]. These circumstances mimic those of aging in a short period of time and increase the risk of developing sarcopenic obesity, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and osteoporosis, which are more prevalent diseases among post- than pre-menopausal women, and in older women than men [3,4,5]. Exercise training interventions have been developed, with resistance training (RT) as a novel approach to increase muscle strength and lean mass, with the consequent improvement in physical function and metabolic profile, together with preventing future frailty and disability in older adults [8,9]

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