Effects of Omega-3 Supplementation Alone and Combined with Resistance Exercise on Skeletal Muscle in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical intervention studies
PubMed 35684018 · doi:10.3390/nu14112221
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis searched SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and Medline for studies evaluating the impact of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, with or without resistance exercise training, on muscle mass and physical function in healthy older adults aged 55 years and older. Mean differences (MDs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess pooled effects across 16 included studies.
What was found
Omega-3 supplementation significantly improved lower body strength (SMD 0.54, 95% CI [0.33, 0.75]), timed-up-and-go performance (MD 0.29 s, 95% CI [0.23, 0.35]), and 30-second sit-to-stand repetitions (MD 1.93, 95% CI [1.59, 2.26]). It showed no significant effect on lean tissue mass (SMD 0.09, 95% CI [-0.10, 0.28]), upper body strength (SMD 0.05, 95% CI [-0.04, 0.13]), or walking performance (SMD -0.01, 95% CI [-0.10, 0.07]).
Why it matters
This review indicates that omega-3 supplementation selectively enhances lower-body strength and functional tasks in older individuals, even in the absence of measurable increases in muscle mass.
Limits
The review included all study types without detailing the proportion of randomized versus non-randomized designs. The abstract does not report specific omega-3 dosages, EPA/DHA ratios, intervention lengths, or separate effects of resistance training versus supplementation alone. Females comprised 68% of the total sample.
Cited by
- supports Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation (EPA and DHA) improves overall muscle strength, specifically lower extremity strength.