AreThereBenefitsfromtheUseofFishOil SupplementsinAthletes?ASystematicReview

Abstract

Despitealmost25yoffishoilsupplementation(FS)researchinathletesandwidespreadusebytheathleticcommunity,nosystematicreviewsofFS inathleteshavebeenconducted.Theobjectivesofthissystematicreviewareto:1)provideasummaryoftheeffectofFSontheathlete’sphysiology, health, and performance; 2) report on the quality of the evidence; 3) document any side effects as reported in the athlete research; 4) discuss any risksassociatedwithFSuse;and5)provideguidanceforFSuseandhighlightgapsforfutureresearch.Electronicdatabases(PubMed,Embase,Web ofScience,GoogleScholar)weresearchedupuntilApril2019.Onlyrandomizedplacebo-controlledtrials(RCTs)inathletes,assessingtheeffectof FSonahealth,physiological/biochemical,orperformancevariablewereincluded.Ofthe137papersidentifiedthroughsearches,32metinclusion criteriaforfinalanalysis.Athletesvariedinclassificationfromrecreationaltoelite,andfromOlympictoprofessionalsports.Meanageforparticipants was24.9±4.5y,with70%ofRCTsinmales.WereportconsistenteffectsforFSonreactiontime,mood,cardiovasculardynamicsincyclists,skeletal musclerecovery,theproinflammatorycytokineTNF-α,andpostexerciseNOresponses.Nocleareffectsonenduranceperformance,lungfunction, muscleforce,ortrainingadaptationwereevident.Methodologicalquality,applyingthePEDroscale,rangedfrom6toamaximumof11,withonly4 RCTsreportingeffectsizes.Fewnegativeoutcomeswerereported.WereportvariouseffectsforFSontheathlete’sphysiology;themostconsistent findingswereonthecentralnervoussystem,cardiovascularsystem,proinflammatorycytokines,andskeletalmuscle.Weproviderecommendations forfutureresearchanddiscussthepotentialriskswithFSuse