Fish Oil Benefits for Athletes: Omega-3 and Sport
In the pursuit of excellence, many athletes take dietary supplements to help improve performance. These supplements may provide a variety of benefits such as increasing strength, power, speed, or endurance or alternatively, by altering body weight or body composition [1]. Fish oil (containing the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA) may be considered one of these performance-enhancing supplements. In fact, the use of these important fatty acids has increased among various populations to enhance sport, including elite athletes and children alike [2, 3].
Some of the benefits Include:
Fish oil increases protein synthesis
Fish oil increases muscle strength and physical performance
Fish oil reduces exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness
Fish oil helps to combat negative effects of intensive training on the immune system
Fish oil improves cardio-respiratory functioning