Omega-3s: Performance and Recovery
This week I want to introduce you to omega 3 fatty acids and why they are important not only for basic, yet critical, bodily functions but also for performance. Omega 3 fatty acids are a significant part of processes such as hormone production, cell membranes, and inflammation regulation. Further, research has linked these ESSENTIAL fatty acids to improvements in cardiovascular and vascular health. But what impact might these fatty acids have on performance and recovery for athletes and exercisers?
Essential in this case means that the body cannot produce these fatty acids and we must consume omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. An important marker to look for is the omega3-omega 6 ratio. A simple blood sample will give us this data. Though both fatty acids are important, omega-6 fatty acids have an inflammatory role. Again, creating inflammation when needed is necessary for many bodily functions and is in fact essential for growing and recovering after training. Unfortunately, in the standard American diet, we get far too many omega-6’s, especially relative to omega 3’s. Examining the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is important for understanding where our diet and health is regarding fatty acids and therefore heart and cardiovascular health.
So, once we better understand this, we may have more reason to target omega-3s in our diet (fatty fish, flax seed, chia seed, walnuts, and omega-3 supplementation…). Getting our omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in check is priority. Once we have established this, we can begin considering how omega-3 levels can be beneficial for performance and recovery. Research has gone back and forth on omega-3s for performance, but there does seem to be a preponderance of evidence pointing towards positive impact of omega-3 supplementation for recovery, performance, and injury risk/ illness.
Performance:
Research seems to indicate that omega-3 supplementation may be beneficial for power output and strength gains, but this is not yet clear. There is proposed mechanistic and theoretical reasoning that would support the benefits of omega-3s for muscle protein synthesis and power output. Stronger evidence points to omega-3 supplementation having benefits for endurance activity. In general, omega-3 supplementation may help improve the fat oxidation in the body that lets the body use fat for fuel (especially important for endurance activity).
Recovery
There is greater evidence for the supplementation of omega-3s for recovery (and hence maybe secondary effects on performance). Improvements can be seen in integrity of muscle cell membrane after exercise and reduced soreness. Further, the oxidative stress and damage caused by exercise can be limited through the anti-inflammatory modulatory role of omega-3s.
Injury and Illness
There is good evidence that supplementation of omega-3s can help with specific injuries and illnesses such as asthma and brain contusion and concussion. Otherwise, there is little research done to examine the use of omega-3s in the healing and recovery from acute athletic and exercise injuries.
Conclusion:
There is enough research done on the health benefits of supplementing and focusing on omega-3s in the diet to consider it closely, athlete or not. Further, performance and recovery can be enhanced with quality supplementation or diets including adequate levels of omega-3s. A good all-encompassing dosage for omega-3s is 2,000mg a day. I use the Carlson Maximum Omega-3 2,000 in my performance and rehab supplementation programs.
Reach out with any questions regarding omega-3 to omega-6 ratio testing, nutrition counseling, and omega 3 supplementation for rehab and performance. We offer these services through Integrated Rehab and Performance Center! Sign up for the newsletter to receive these articles in your email inbox every Monday and follow the Instagram at the handle below!
-Dr. Nick, D.C.
Integrated.Rehab.Performance
Resources:
Thielecke F, Blannin A. Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Sport Performance-Are They Equally Beneficial for Athletes and Amateurs? A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3712. Published 2020 Nov 30. doi:10.3390/nu12123712
