A trial which evaluated the addition of a high dose of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to an eight-week resistance training program found improvement in cholesterol, triglycerides, markers of inflammation, antioxidant status and brain biomarkers along with improved agility, power, speed, strength and reaction-based performance in comparison with the effects of strength training alone in healthy men.¹

Compared with the beginning of the eight-week trial, men who received omega-3 fatty acids experienced an average reduction of 8% in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, an 11% increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and an 11% decrease in triglycerides. C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation) declined by an average of 41%, interleukin-6 (also a marker of inflammation) by 31% and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (another proinflammatory marker) by 27%, while the antioxidant glutathione improved by 15% and malondialdehyde (MDA, a marker of oxidative stress) declined by 33% in omega-3-treated men. These participants also experienced an 11% average reduction in homocysteine, a 12% increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a 19% improvement in dopamine and a 176.56% increase in serotonin. The control group, who did not receive omega-3, experienced no significant changes between blood values obtained at the beginning and at the end of the study.

Similarly, while the control group had no significant improvements in physical performance tests, bench press one-repetition maximum improved by an average of 13.57%, squat one-repetition maximum improved by 9.72%, leg strength improved by 15.21%, hand grip strength improved by 10.51%, counter movement jump distance improved by 11.46%, 10-meter sprint time decreased by 7.14%, reactive strength improved by 14.96% and Illinois agility test times declined (indicating improvement) by 9.63%.

“The fact that such improvements were observed even in healthy, physically active individuals suggests that omega-3 can be considered a valuable performance-enhancing aid for athletes and those engaged in regular physical activity,” authors Sedat Okut and colleagues wrote. These findings suggest that omega-3 supplementation, when combined with resistance training, has a multi-systemic enhancing effect on both physiological markers and physical performance.

The randomized, controlled trial included 30 healthy men aged 18–30 years. All participants were assigned to train a minimum of three days per week for eight weeks. Fifteen men received capsules that provided 1,050 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil to be consumed three times per day throughout the eight-week treatment period, while the remainder of the participants received no omega-3.