Effects Of Fish Oil Supplementation On Muscular Performance And Soreness After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Unaccustomed eccentric exercise often leads to muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), impacting athletic performance. While chronic fish oil (FO) consumption has been shown to benefit muscular performance, the impact of acute FO administration on recovery from DOMS and restoration of muscular performance has not been fully elucidated. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of acute FO supplementation on the recovery of muscular performance and perceived muscle soreness following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy adults. METHODS: Twenty-two physically active college-aged healthy adults (21.8 ± 3.4 years) were randomly assigned to fish oil supplementation (FO, n = 11; 4 males and 7 females) or placebo control (CON, n = 11; 4 males and 7 females). Participants performed 100 plyometric drop jumps for eccentric contraction-induced muscle damage. Immediately after the exercise bout, participants consumed either FO or CON. The FO group consumed FO supplements enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [3 capsules per day, one capsule for each meal - 2100 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 720 mg of docosahexaenoic acid each day for four consecutive days]. CON took identical-looking placebo capsules containing safflower oil of similar dose as FO. Muscular performance [vertical jump and maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque (MVIC) using the Biodex System Dynamometer] of the quadriceps and perceived muscle soreness were assessed pre-, immediately post, 24-, 48-, and 72-h post-exercise. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Vertical jump and MVIC in the FO group returned to pre-exercise levels (46.0 ± 7.9 cm, 178.0 ± 39.0 Nm) by 48-h (47.8 ± 10.0 cm, 176.4 ± 36.8 Nm), while CON did not return to baseline levels (50.1 ± 13.0 cm, 172.2 ± 50.1 Nm) until 72-h post-exercise (49.7 ± 13.1 cm, 171.9 ± 49.6 Nm). Likewise, leg muscle soreness in the FO group returned to pre-exercise values (0.9 ± 0.9 cm) by 48-h (1.3 ± 0.8 cm), while CON returned to baseline (0.7 ± 0.6 cm) by 72-h post-exercise (1.0 ± 0.8 cm). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that an acute FO supplementation facilitated the recovery of muscle performance and alleviated perceptual muscle soreness after a rigorous bout of eccentric exercise.