Athlete Recovery: 6 Ways Omega-3 Fish Oil Helps

As every athlete knows, recovery is just as important as training. Mounting studies suggest that athlete recovery can be boosted by supplementing with omega-3 fish oil. But how, exactly, does omega-3 fish oil help athletes recover? In this post, we’re going to answer that question by taking a look at some of the benefits associated with omega-3 fish oil supplementation so you can gain a healthy, natural leg up on the competition during the training and recovery process.

Omega-3: The Secret Weapon for Athlete Recovery

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for everyone, but they can have particular benefits for athletes and others who live a more active, demanding lifestyle. While there are many ways that fish oil supplements can help you train and recover, we’ve chosen to highlight six of omega-3’s biggest potential impacts:

How Omega-3 May Assist in Athlete Recovery

• Omega-3 May Help Reduce Joint Pain – In 17 randomized, controlled trials, subjects were given omega-3 fish oil. Results of these trials seemed to conclude that fish oil has the potential to significantly reduce joint pain intensity, as well as morning stiffness, and the pain and tenderness in joints associated with arthritis and inflammation [1].
• Omega-3 May Reduce Exercise Induced Muscle Damage and Soreness -Often times, athletes are prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the symptoms of muscle damage and soreness associated with exercise and training. However, studies suggest that omega-3 may also work to alleviate these symptoms [2], reducing the time it takes to recover between training sessions, as well as improving performance.
• Omega-3 May Help Improve Fat Metabolism – Studies have found that omega-3 may help improve body composition, as well as improve fat burning capabilities. Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to decrease body weight, BMI, and waist circumference [3], while the addition of omega-3 to exercise programs may actually accelerate weight loss [4].
• Omega-3 May Improve Cardiorespiratory Function – Studies have shown that omega-3 supplementation during exercise and training can improve the heart’s parameters, increasing its ability to pump blood and deliver oxygen to muscles when they need it most [5]. Research also suggests that omega-3 fish oil may also improve lung function while exercising [6].
• Omega-3 May Strengthen Bones – In studies, aerobic exercise combined with omega-3 supplements seemed to positively affect calcium regulating hormones [7], as well as have a synergistic effect in improved bone mineral density [8]. These studies suggest that omega-3 may have a role to play in the strengthening of bones.
• Omega-3 May Increase Protein Synthesis and Aid in Muscle Growth – Fish oil has been suggested to potentially improve the anabolic effect of exercise [9]; when combined with an anabolic stimulus, omega-3 fatty acids may improve protein metabolism [10] as well as increase muscle protein synthesis [11].

Ascenta Health: Helping Improve the Athlete Recovery Process

Ascenta Health is proud to offer high quality omega-3 fish oil to athletes from every sport. Our products are pure, potent, and go through rigorous testing to ensure they are up to the stringent standards of the athletes we regularly work with.

Among our many products, NutraSea hp is the most popular choice for athletes, as it is specifically designed for enhanced performance and recovery. NutraSea hp can reduce muscle and joint pain, as well as suppress inflammation, making it a valuable addition to any serious athlete’s regimen.

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[1] Goldberg, R. J., & Katz, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of the analgesic effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for inflammatory joint pain. Pain, 129(1-2), 210-223. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2007.01.020

[2]Jouris, K. B., McDaniel, J. L., & Weis, E. P. (2011). The effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the inflammatory response to eccentric strength exercise. JSSM, 10, 432-438.
Tartibian, B., Maleki, B. H., & Abbasi, A. (2009). The effects of ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids on perceived pain and external symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness in untrained men. Clin J Sport Med, 19(2), 115-119. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31819b51b3

[3]Crochemore, I. C., Souza, A. F., de Souza, A. C., & Rosado, E. L. (2012). omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation does not influence body composition, insulin resistance, and lipemia in women with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Nutr Clin Pract, 27(4), 553-560. doi: 10.1177/0884533612444535.
Ebrahimi,M., Ghayour-Mobarhan, M., Rezaiean, S., Hoseini, M., Parizade, S. M., Farhoudi, F., . . . Ferns, G. A.(2009). Omega-3 fatty acid supplements improve the cardiovascular risk profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome, including markers of inflammation and auto-immunity. Acta Cardiol, 64(3), 321-327.
Couet, C., Delarue, J., Ritz, P., Antoine, J. M., & Lamisse, F. (1997). Effect of dietary fish oil on body fat mass and basal fat oxidation in healthy adults. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 21(8), 637-643.
Kunesova, M., Braunerova, R., Hlavaty, P., Tvrzicka, E., Stankova, B., Skrha, J., . . . Svacina, S. (2006). The influence of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and very low calorie diet during a short-term weight reducing regimen on weight loss and serum fatty acid composition in severely obese women. Physiol Res, 55(1), 63-72.

[4]. Mori, T. A., Bao, D. Q., Burke, V., Puddey, I. B., Watts, G. F., & Beilin, L. J. (1999). Dietary fish as a major component of a weight-loss diet: effect on serum lipids, glucose, and insulin metabolism in overweight hypertensive subjects. Am J Clin Nutr, 70(5), 817-825.
Hill, A. M., Buckley, J. D., Murphy, K. J., & Howe, P. R. (2007). Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Am J Clin Nutr, 85(5), 1267-1274.

[5] Buckley, J. D., Burgess, S., Murphy, K. J., & Howe, P. R. (2009). DHA-rich fish oil lowers heart rate during submaximal exercise in elite Australian Rules footballers. J Sci Med Sport, 12(4), 503-507. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2008.01.011
Peoples, G. E., McLennan, P. L., Howe, P. R., & Groeller, H. (2008). Fish oil reduces heart rate and oxygen consumption during exercise. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol, 52(6), 540-547. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0b013e3181911913

[6] Tartibian, B., Maleki, B. H., & Abbasi, A. (2010). The effects of omega-3 supplementation on pulmonary function of young wrestlers during intensive training. J Sci Med Sport, 13(2), 281-286. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2008.12.634

[7] Tartibian, B., Maleki, B. H., & Asghar, A. (2010). The calciotropic hormone response to omega-3 supplementation during long-term weight-bearing exercise training in post menopausal women. JSSM, 9, 245-252.

[8] Tartibian, B., Hajizadeh Maleki, B., Kanaley, J., & Sadeghi, K. (2011). Long-term aerobic exercise and omega-3 supplementation modulate osteoporosis through inflammatory mechanisms in post-menopausal women: a randomized, repeated measures study. Nutr Metab (Lond), 8, 71. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-8-71
Walser, B., & Stebbins, C. L. (2008). Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation enhances stroke volume and cardiac output during dynamic exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol, 104(3), 455-461. doi: 10.1007/s00421-008-0791-x

[9] Macaluso, F., Barone, R., Catanese, P., Carini, F., Rizzuto, L., Farina, F., & Di Felice, V. (2013). Do fat supplements increase physical performance? Nutrients, 5(2), 509-524. doi: 10.3390/nu5020509

[10] Di Girolamo, F. G., Situlin, R., Mazzucco, S., Valentini, R., Toigo, G., & Biolo, G. (2014). Omega-3 fatty acids and protein metabolism: enhancement of anabolic interventions for sarcopenia. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 17(2), 145-150. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000032

[11] Smith, G. I., Atherton, P., Reeds, D. N., Mohammed, B. S., Rankin, D., Rennie, M. J., & Mittendorfer, B.(2011a). Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr, 93(2), 402-412. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.005611
Smith, G. I., Atherton, P., Reeds, D. N., Mohammed, B. S., Rankin, D., Rennie, M. J., & Mittendorfer, B.(2011b). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperinsulinaemia-hyperaminoacidaemia in healthy young and middle-aged men and women. Clin Sci (Lond), 121(6), 267-278. doi: 10.1042/CS20100597