Omega-3 fatty acids are generally associated with heart and brain health, but did you know they can also be very useful if you're an athlete or lead an active life?
Whether it's protecting your brain and heart or facilitating your recovery, omega-3s can play several roles during your sports sessions.
Exercise is more than beneficial for the body, but it can cause some damage to muscles and joints if you don't take proper precautions, including taking the right nutrients.
One of the most well-known nutrients in this area is protein. Whether you're running, swimming, hiking, playing soccer, or cycling, your muscles are always engaged. It is therefore essential to ensure they receive an adequate supply of good nutrients to make them stronger and more resistant.
As for the recommended daily dose, it depends on your level of physical activity. But generally, the more you use your muscles, the more you will need proteins to strengthen and repair them.
The same goes for omega-3s, EPA, and DHA, the long-chain fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon, algae, and krill. EPA and DHA can help counteract the increased damage caused by free radicals during intense workouts, causing inflammation that affects muscles, joints, and ligaments. They can also improve artery health and make blood circulation in the body, muscles, and brain more efficient.
Reducing inflammation for better recovery
Omega-3s, EPA, and DHA, found in marine sources like fish, algae, and krill, are anti-inflammatory due to their design. And, since exercise is itself an inflammatory activity, taking omega-3s could be the ideal solution to prevent muscle soreness. This soreness, or stiffness, can occur one to several days after intense physical activity and can have a significant impact on your ability to maintain a high-level workout.
Omega-3s have been shown to reduce muscle soreness and swelling, while increasing range of motion after strenuous exercise. In one study, these benefits were evident not only for athletes but also for those who had just started training. The 11 individuals who participated in this study performed two sets of eccentric biceps curls, once after 14 days of omega-3-restricted diet (control trial) and once after 7 days of 3 g/day omega-3 supplementation (trial).
Here, omega-3 supplementation was found to reduce soreness and facilitate better sessions in individuals ranging from highly fit athletes to sedentary subjects or patients starting exercise programs or medical treatments such as physiotherapy or cardiac rehabilitation.
Another study, conducted on rugby players, looked at the effectiveness of consuming a protein supplement containing 1546 mg of fish oil (551 mg EPA and 551 mg DHA) twice daily compared to a placebo protein on muscle soreness and psychological well-being during 5 weeks of pre-season training. The researchers concluded that adding fish oil to the protein supplement significantly reduced fatigue and muscle soreness.
Promoting muscle growth
It has been proven that omega-3 fatty acids increase protein synthesis, which is the process that allows your body to convert the proteins you eat into fuel your muscles need to grow and stay strong. In a study involving nine healthy men and women, researchers at the University of Washington gave 4 g/day of purified fish oil for eight weeks to evaluate the impact on muscle protein synthesis rate.
They found that omega-3s increased the subjects' muscle response to insulin and amino acids, both of which are released in the body during exercise. There seems to be a greater amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the muscle cell that primes it for protein synthesis. In other words, the more omega-3s you have, the better your chances of developing and maintaining your muscles.
Improving performance
Another study showed that fish oil could act in healthy cardiac and skeletal muscles to reduce whole-body and myocardial oxygen demand during exercise without diminishing performance. For this study, researchers evaluated 16 randomly assigned cyclists to receive either 8g of fish oil per day or an olive oil placebo.
Kari Ikemoto, a dietitian who commented on this study in an article for Men's Journal, said, "One of the benefits of omega-3s on the heart is the reduction in heart rate and the amount of oxygen your body burns per minute. This means that for every minute of exercise, your body needs less oxygen. The body then needs less energy to run a marathon, score a goal, or make a tackle."
Protecting the brain for better use
The human brain contains 60% fat, including 15% DHA omega-3. Since concussions are a common occurrence in athletes playing contact sports, several precautions have already been taken such as new rules, new equipment, and even preventive nutritional support.
Researchers, like Michael Lewis, have suggested that omega-3s could be an innovative approach to preventively protect the brain during relatively concerning head trauma.
In parallel, research has already shown that omega-3s have many benefits on cognitive support, such as better reaction time.
In one study, 24 female soccer players received 3.5 g/day of DHA-rich fish oil or olive oil for 4 weeks of training. Two measurements (pre- and post-treatment) of complex reaction time and accuracy were performed. Participants were required to press different buttons and pedals with their hands and feet, or stop responding, depending on visual and auditory stimuli. After 4 weeks of supplementation, a significant improvement in neuromotor function was observed in these players.
Nourishing the body and burning fat
Many people start exercising with the goal of losing weight. According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, omega-3s can help you burn fat by using it as energy. The rule is the same as for protein synthesis: the more omega-3s you have, the better your body functions, as it will burn more fat to convert it into energy during exercise.
In this study, 44 men and women received either 4 g of safflower oil or 4 g of fish oil per day (1600 mg EPA and 800 mg DHA). After 6 weeks of treatment, researchers found an increase in lean mass and a decrease in fat mass in subjects receiving fish oil.