Plasma Eicosapentaenoic Acid Is Associated with Muscle Strength and Muscle Damage after Strenuous Exercise.

Eisuke Ochi,Kenichi Yanagimoto,Yosuke Tsuchiya

doi:10.3390/sports9010011

Eisuke Ochi, Kenichi Yanagimoto + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9010011

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Abstract

Background: Although the ingestion of total omega–3 fatty acids (omega–3) is positively related with muscular strength in older persons, little is known about the effect of omega–3 plasma levels on muscular function before and after exercise in young men. Moreover, omega–3 supplementation has a positive role in exercise-induced acute muscle damage. This study investigated the relationship between plasma omega–3 in the blood and promotion and preservation of muscle strength after eccentric contractions (ECCs) in young men. Methods: Thirty-two healthy young men participated in this study. We assessed plasma omega–3 level and the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Twenty-six out of them exercised 60 ECCs at 100% MVC. We measured the MVC torque, flexibility before and immediately after exercise, 1–5 days post exercise. Results: The levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and EPA/arachidonic acid were positively associated with muscle strength (p < 0.05). Higher levels of omega–3 EPA and docosahexaenoic acid prevented the reduction in the MVC and limited joint flexibility after ECCs. Conclusions: The present study reveals that higher levels of EPA are important to promote muscle strength and preserve the strength loss after exercise.

Highlights

Omega–3 fatty acids are the polyunsaturated fatty acid family of omega–3.Omega–3 fatty acids are included in fish oil and contain mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n − 3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n − 3)
This study investigated the association between the level of EPA, DHA, and AA in the blood and the promotion of muscle strength and preservation of stren after eccentric contractions (ECCs) in young men
This study showed that higher EPA, DHA, and EPA per AA resulted in high weight and BMI

Summary

Introduction

Omega–3 fatty acids are included in fish oil and contain mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n − 3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n − 3). Omega–3 was focused on because the Greenland Eskimos had a lower heart disease rate and consumed more fatty acids [1]. ECC produces larger muscle force than other contractions, and causes greater muscle damage in untrained individuals [2,3]. It is well-known that ECC-induced muscular damage causes muscle strength loss, limited range of motion (ROM), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), swelling, and serum creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin (Mb) [2,3,4]

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