The effect of fish oil supplementation on the promotion and preservation of lean body mass, strength, and recovery from physiological stress in young, healthy adults: a systematic review.

CONTEXT: Military personnel are subjected to physiologically stressful environments during combat and its associated training. Evidence suggests that fish oil-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (FO n-3 PUFAs) may affect military personnel's performance by promoting or preserving lean body mass, strength, and power, while enhancing recovery from training-associated muscle damage.
OBJECTIVE: Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review assessed the evidence for FO n-3 PUFA supplementation across various military-relevant outcomes related to physical performance in healthy adult populations. DATA SOURCES: The PubMed, Embase, and the CINAHL databases were searched along with references lists of selected articles and reviews. DATA EXTRACTION: Eighteen trials were assessed for bias, and descriptive data were extracted. DATA ANALYSIS: Of the 18 studies included, 12 trials favored FO n-3 PUFA supplementation in ≥ 1 of the performance outcomes.
CONCLUSION: Overall, FO n-3 PUFA supplementation likely preserves strength and very likely enhances recovery from physiological stress in young, healthy adults. However, FO n-3 PUFAs' role in promoting or preserving lean body mass or promoting strength is unclear and warrants additional investigation. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020152786. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute 2020. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.