Fish oil is touted as a brain booster, but that's not the only beneficial side effect of this naturally occurring substance. Packed with "good" fats called omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil shows the most promise in reducing the risk of heart disease, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Fish oil supplementation may also support and enhance skeletal muscle health. Consult with your doctor before adding fish oil supplements to your diet.
Heart Health
Fish oil supports the healthy function of your body's most important muscle -- your heart. In a review of 11 scientific studies published in the July 2009 issue of "Clinical Cardiology," scientists concluded that fish oil supplementation improves heart health in patients with heart conditions. A June 2011 article in the "Journal of Pharmacy Practice" explains that fish oil lowers potentially heart-damaging triglyceride levels, positively impacts cholesterol levels and reduces harmful blood clotting and the risk of heart failure.
Builds Muscle
Fish oil appears to have both muscle-sustaining and muscle-building properties. Supplementing with fish oil helps prevent age-related muscle loss and promotes muscle growth in older adults, says a study published in the February 2011 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Researchers also found that taking fish oil helped cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments either gain or maintain muscle mass, as reported in the April 2011 issue of the journal "Cancer."
Blood Flow
Omega-3 fatty acids enhance blood flow to muscles during exercise, increasing both the amount of blood the heart pumps per beat and the volume of blood pumped per minute, reports a study published in the October 2008 issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology." The study's authors suggest that omega-3 supplementation may increase oxygen delivery to muscles during exercise, a finding of particular significance for people with a lowered exercise capability and cardiovascular disease.
Muscle Soreness
Supplementing with fish oil appears to alleviate the pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. A 2009 study published in the "Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine" says that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation effectively treated DOMS after exercise in untrained individuals. Subjects who consumed omega-3s experienced reduced pain and increased range of motion 48 hours after exercise when compared with a control group of subjects who didn't take an omega-3 supplement.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; •Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD; June 25, 2009
- "Clinical Cardiology"; Omega-3 Dietary Supplements and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review; P.E. Marik, et al.; July 2009
- "Journal of Pharmacy Practice"; Fish Oil: What Is the Role in Cardiovascular Health?; Betsy E. Brinson, et al.; June 6, 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; Gordon I. Smith;
- "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 15, 2011
- "European Journal of Applied Physiology"; Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Enhances Stroke Volume and Cardiac Output During Dynamic Exercise; B. Walser et al.; October 2008
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