Effects of High Dose Fish Oil Supplementation on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Inflammatory Markers

Abstract

Delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) is caused, in part, by muscle damage associated with the eccentric component of exercise and this muscle damage can result in an inflammatory response by the body. Fish oil rich in eicosapaetonic acid (EPA) and docosahexeoric acid (DHA) have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, studies have not investigated the impact of consuming a high dose offish oil for a prolonged period of time on DOMS. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high dose fish oil supplementation on DOMS and the associated muscle inflammatory response. The control group (CON; n=10) consumed 3.45 grams of wheat germ and the experimental group (FO; n=10) received 3.0 grams fish oil per day for 65 days. On Day 60, participants performed eccentric muscle contractions at an angular velocity of 60°-sec -1 through 20° to 90° of knee flexion until exhaustion. Perceived muscular soreness, isometric strength, and muscle inflammatory markers were measured before exercise and at 8, 24,48, 72, 96 and 120 hours post-exercise. We found no significant differences between the CON and FO groups for all variables. The data suggests the fish oil had no effect on inflammatory markers and the signs and symptoms of DOMS when compared to a placebo.