Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels among Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

PURPOSE: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been linked to mood disorders in the general population. To date, few investigations have evaluated blood omega-3 fatty acid levels in athletes, as well as their associations with anxiety and resilience. METHODS: Fifty-four female athletes (19.5 ± 1.3 yr) from a Division I NCAA program volunteered for this study. Sports represented included basketball (n = 13), soccer (n = 23), rifle (n = 11), and golf (n = 7). Finger sticks were used to obtain dried blood spot samples, which were sent to a commercial laboratory (OmegaQuant, Sioux Falls, SD) to quantify whole-blood fatty acids. The HS-Omega-3 Index®, which is the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in erythrocyte membranes and is expressed as a percent of total erythrocyte fatty acids, was calculated. Other fatty acids quantified were α-linolenic acid (ALA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), linoleic acid (LA), and arachidonic acid (AA). Participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; range 0-63), the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2; range 15-60), and a mental toughness scale (MTS; range 11-55). Spearman’s rho co-efficients were used to examine associations between fatty acid levels and anxiety scores. MTS data were limited to 53 participants due to missing data on one participant. Data are median (interquartile range [IQR]). RESULTS: Median levels of fatty acids were as follows: ALA, 0.39% (0.33-0.48%); EPA, 0.47% (0.33-0.61%); DPA, 1.1% (0.9-1.2%); DHA, 2.6% (2.2-3.0%); LA, 24.3% (23.3-25.7%); and AA, 11.2% (10.4-12.1%). The median HS-Omega-3 Index® was 4.9% (4.2-5.4%). Scores on the BAI, SAS-2, and MTS were 8 (3-18), 25 (23-33), and 44 (42-48), respectively. None of the fatty acids were significantly correlated with SAS-2 scores. HS-Omega-3 Index® (rho = -.32, p = .02), EPA (rho = -.40, p < .01), and DPA (rho = -.33, p = .02) were negatively correlated with BAI scores. DPA was positively correlated with MTS scores (rho = .27, p = .049). CONCLUSIONS: Whole-blood omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are associated with general but not sport-specific anxiety in female collegiate athletes. Increasing the intake omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may help manage some symptoms of general anxiety in female athletes.