Microencapsulated docosahexaenoic acid increases the Omega-3 Index and attenuates the physiological impact of eccentric exercise in physically trained adults: a 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Abstract
Purpose: This study investigated the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), physical function, and inflammation following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage in physically trained male and female adults (training ≥ 5d/wk).
Methods: Thirty-eight participants (12 Control, 26 DHA) completed a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled matched-pair trial. The Control group received high-oleic acid tablets. The DHA group received 715 mg/d of microencapsulated DHA tablets. Participants performed eccentric cycling at weeks 0 and 12, with assessments conducted pre-exercise, 0-h, 24-h, and 48-h post-exercise. The primary outcomes were DOMS (visual analogue scale) and the Omega-3 Index (O3I) (estimated by finger-stick dry blood spot). Secondary outcomes included neuromuscular function and inflammatory cytokines.
Results: O3I was not different between groups at week 0 but was elevated in the DHA group (∆2.43%, [95% CI; 2.10, 2.77], P < 0.001) and between Control at week 12 (P < 0.001). DOMS was lower at 24-h and 48-h post-exercise in the DHA group and between Control at week 12 (P < 0.01). At week 12, jump height and peak vertical force improved at 48-h post-exercise in the DHA group (P < 0.05), resulting in moderate (d = 0.60) and small (d = 0.32) effect sizes for 48-h post-exercise area under the curve (AUC) between groups, respectively. There were interaction effects for 48-h post-exercise AUC of IL-6 (P = 0.049), TNF-α (P =…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
Read the paper
Related studies
- eggNOG 5.0: a hierarchical, functionally and phylogenetically annotated orthology resource based on 5090 organisms and 2502 viruses
- Online Survival Analysis Software to Assess the Prognostic Value of Biomarkers Using Transcriptomic Data in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- OptiType: precision HLA typing from next-generation sequencing data
- Nicotinic Cholinergic System and COVID-19: In Silico Identification of an Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and Nicotinic Receptors with Potential Therapeutic Targeting Implications
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells have three Omega class glutathione S-transferases acting as 1-Cys thiol transferases
- Hemolysis at low blood flow rates: in-vitro and in-silico evaluation of a centrifugal blood pump
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.