Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help You Build Muscle?

Highlights:

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to have multiple health benefits
A recent review shows that omega-3 fatty acids could marginally increase muscle strength but not mass or function
However, further research is needed to confirm the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on muscles

Has your mom ever forced you to have those vile-tasting cod liver oil capsules because they’re a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids? She has a point though.

Fish Oil Benefits
Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are helpful to treat many health problems. Fish oil benefits eyes, bones, heart, brain, skin and hair.

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Why Do you Need Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that play important roles in the body, including cardiovascular, immunological, cognitive, and neuromuscular functions ().

Humans are unable to create the amount of omega-3 fatty acids required by our bodies. As a result, omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential nutrients, which means we must obtain them from the foods we eat. In some circumstances, doctors may advise patients to take omega-3 fatty acid supplements.

Several studies have recently been conducted to study the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and function; however, the results have been ambiguous. Some studies found that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increased muscle mass, strength, and function, whereas others found no impact.

Quiz on Omega Fatty Acids
Body can't make omega fatty acids but these are essential for good health. So you have to get them from food sources and supplements. Take this quiz and find out why omega fatty acids are important and what foods are good sources of omega fatty acids.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Building Muscle

A recent study examined the available evidence to see how much it showed that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation affected muscle mass, strength, and function in healthy young and older people. Their study was published in the journal Advances in Nutrition ().

From the 14 studies that fit the criteria, there were a total of 1,443 participants. Out of which 913 were females and 520 were males.

After examining the data, the authors concluded that when compared to a placebo, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may lead to very small increases in muscle strength but did not impact muscle mass and function in healthy young and older adults.

The authors believe that this could be explained, at least partly, by the fact that increases in muscle strength are not necessarily correlated with changes in muscle size, since neural motor control and/or cellular and molecular adaptations of muscle fibers may lead to increases in muscle strength in the absence of significant increases in muscle mass.

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Young Healthy People: Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Increase Muscle Strength

While the scientists discovered a beneficial, albeit minor, effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on muscle strength when compared to a placebo. They did advise using caution when interpreting this outcome. The authors specifically mentioned differences in individual study design and findings, making it difficult to draw conclusions.

Overall, the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on strength is consistent with trivially modest advantages, and such small changes are unlikely to be clinically meaningful or important.

The authors did point to a previous review that found a stronger relationship between omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and increased muscle mass and function among the elderly than their current review; however, they believe the difference might be explained by differences in the study populations. In this current review, only healthy subjects were analyzed.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Could Cut Cardiovascular, Stroke Risk in Undersized Babies
In undersized infants, intake of omega-3 fatty acids could prevent the development of cardiovascular disease and stroke, says study.

Older Chronically-Ill Adults: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Might be More Effective

Previous research suggests that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may be more likely to provide an anabolic stimulus when muscle protein synthesis is compromised, such as in older adults with higher levels of anabolic resistance or in conditions of increased systemic inflammation, such as chronic diseases ().

The authors did acknowledge certain limitations of their study, such as a high overall risk of bias from the included studies, owing mostly to a lack of information about the randomization technique and blinding, as well as a lack of established trial registries.

Future research with robust methodology and data reporting is required to broaden and corroborate these findings to shed more light on the subject.

References:

Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15366399/)
The Influence of n-3PUFA Supplementation on Muscle Strength, Mass, and Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36811583/)
Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength and Muscle Performance among the Elderly: A Meta-Analysis - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33291698/)

Source-Medindia