Omega-3 Supplements Improve Muscle Function In Older Women When Paired With Exercise

It has always been believed that fish oil supplements provide a number of health benefits in the body. A new study has recently revealed that omega-3 supplements could improve muscle function in older women, may increase the quality of life into advancing age and prevent unnecessary falls and loss of independence.

According to Indian Express, the study, led by the Universities of Glasgow and Aberdeen and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, discovered that including older women's diet with 3 grams of fish oil (omega-3) can increase their muscle function especially when combined with resistance exercise training over 18 weeks compared to 3 grams of safflower oil, a placebo that was used.

For the study, researchers measured muscle size before and after the exercise training program using MRI, and muscle function, using a testing dynamometer and calculated the muscle quality that is the force produced relative to muscle size.

As what the researchers have expected, the resistance exercise training increased muscle size, function and quality in all groups of participants. They found that in men who were taking the fish oil supplements there was no extra benefit in muscle function or size observed over the 18-week intervention period.

In a report by Health Canal, it was found that in women taking fish oil, their muscle function, but not the size, increased to a greater extent compared to those included in the placebo group.

It was also noted that in women in the placebo group, exercise training turned out with an average strength increase of 16 percent. However, when the exercises were combined with intake of fish oil the improvement increased to an average of 34 percent.

Dr. Stuart Gray from the University of Glasgow's Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (formerly of the University of Aberdeen, where much of the study was completed) said: "These findings provide important information for nutritional guidelines in older people where policy makers may want to consider recommendations for fish oil supplements to be consumed by older women." He added, "Why men do not see the same benefit as women is important to understand and the underlying mechanisms need to be studied."

Meanwhile, researchers highlighted that the significant increase in muscle function noted in women was separate of any changes in muscle size with fish oil, especially that it was muscle quality rather than sized showed improvement.

Dr. Gray also added: "With the percentage of people aged over 65 predicted to rise from 17%, of the total population in 2010, to 23% in 2035, it is crucial to develop effective treatments for the age-related loss of muscle function.

"Findings of a benefit in women are particularly important as women tend to live around four years longer than men and cross the "disability threshold," where functional abilities are lost, 10 years earlier than men."