The health benefits attributed to fish oil -- specifically EPA and DHA, the two principal omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil -- are legion. Omega-3s have been shown to lower your blood pressure, reduce serum triglyceride levels, elevate mood, fight inflammation and exert anticancer effects. Now, researchers are investigating the role of omega-3 fatty acids in muscle metabolism and growth.
Mechanisms
EPA and DHA are metabolized by the same enzymes that convert other fatty acids to inflammatory molecules in your cells, and competition for these enzymes results in the production of fewer inflammatory compounds. In addition, EPA and DHA are themselves converted to substances that actively resolve inflammation and interact with cellular receptors to alter your cells' metabolism. Omega-3s' influences on such receptors and their byproducts are now known to affect muscle health and growth.
Aging Muscle
As you age, your muscles become less pliant, they lose bulk, and they become embedded with fatty deposits. According to scientists at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, many of these degenerative changes are precipitated by the activities of a substance called serum response factor, or SRF. DHA "down-regulates" the undesirable effects of SRF and blunts its effects on your muscles. Furthermore, a study published in the February 2011 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" showed that omega-3 supplementation increases muscle protein synthesis in older adults.
Healthy Young Adults
Omega-3 supplementation enhances muscle growth and metabolism in older individuals and, according to the April 2011 issue of "Cancer," in patients with cancer, where loss of muscle mass is a major contributor to mortality. These findings indicate omega-3s' ability to ameliorate the muscular degeneration associated with aging and chronic disease. However, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids, at a dose of 4 g daily for eight weeks, exert anabolic effects in the muscles of healthy young and middle-aged adults, as well.
Considerations
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil possess a variety of beneficial properties. Their ability to improve protein synthesis and overall metabolism in skeletal and heart muscle may have far-reaching effects in treating cancer, age-related decline, cardiovascular disease and other conditions where muscle wasting is an issue. Additionally, fish oil supplementation may prove useful for athletes and others hoping to maximize muscular performance. Although human studies have employed daily doses of 4 g of omega-3 fatty acids, the amount required for optimal muscle health is unknown. Ask your doctor if fish oil supplements are appropriate for you.
References
- "Journal of Lipids"; Regulation of Serum Response Factor and Adiponectin by PPARγ Agonist Docosahexaenoic Acid; C. Johnson, et al.; 2011
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Increases the Rate of Muscle Protein Synthesis in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial; G.I. Smith, et al.; February 2011
- "Cancer"; Nutritional Intervention with Fish Oil Provides a Benefit Over Standard of Care for Weight and Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients with Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy; R.A. Murphy, et al.; April 2011
- "Clinical Science"; Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Augment the Muscle Protein Anabolic Response to Hyperinsulinaemia-Hyperaminoacidaemia in Healthy Young and Middle-Aged Men and Women; G.I. Smith, et al.; September 2011
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