More Evidence of Exercise Benefits from Fish Oil
Just days ago, the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport published a study by researchers from the University of South Australia showing that fish oil supplementation reduced heart rate in elite rugby players undertaking a high-intensity workout. Now the European Journal of Applied Physiology has published a study by researchers from the University of California-Davis showing that fish oil supplementation increased heart stroke volume and cardiac output during low- to moderate-intensity exercise.
Twelve subjects were divided into two groups. Members of one group took a fish oil supplement daily for six weeks while members of the other group received a placebo. Both groups performed a 20-minute stationary bike workout at low and moderate intensities before and after the intervention. Interestingly, while fish oil supplementation had no effect on heart rate during the workout, it increased stroke volume and cardiac output (14.1 +/- 6.3 vs. 32.3 +/- 8.7 ml) and cardiac output (8.5 +/- 1.0 vs. 10.3 +/- 1.2 L/min) during the workout, whereas the placebo did not.
The study's authors concluded, "[Fish oil]-induced increases in stroke volume and cardiac volume imply that dietary supplementation with these fatty acids can increase oxygen delivery during exercise, which may have beneficial clinical implications for individuals with cardiovascular disease and reduced exercise tolerance." Our question: Why would these effects only be beneficial to the unwell and not also beneficial to athletes such as those included in the South Australia study? |
