Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for 12 Weeks Increases Resting and Exercise Metabolic Rate in Healthy Community-Dwelling Older Females

• Published in: PloS one 2015-12, Vol.10 (12), p.e0144828-e0144828
• Main Authors: Logan, Samantha L, Spriet, Lawrence L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Aging; Basal Metabolism - drug effects; Blood; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Body composition; Body fat; C-reactive protein; Cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Communities; Development and progression; Dietary Supplements; Energy expenditure; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - therapeutic use; Female; Females; Fish; Fish oils; Gene expression; Health aspects; Heart rate; Humans; Independent Living; Insulin; Lipids; Membranes; Metabolic rate; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Muscles; Musculoskeletal system; Oils & fats; Older people; Olive oil; Omega-3 fatty acids; Oxidation; Patient outcomes; Physical fitness; Proteins; Quality of life; Risk factors; Single-Blind Method; Substrates; Supplements; Triglycerides; Womens health
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144828

Critical among the changes that occur with aging are decreases in muscle mass and metabolic rate and an increase in fat mass. These changes may predispose older adults to chronic disease and functional impairment; ultimately resulting in a decrease in the quality of life. Research has suggested that long chain omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fatty fish, may assist in reducing these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fish oil (FO) supplementation in a cohort of healthy, community-dwelling older females on 1) metabolic rate and substrate oxidation at rest and during exercise; 2) resting blood pressure and resting and exercise heart rates; 3) body composition; 4) strength and physical function, and; 5) blood measures of insulin, glucose, c-reactive protein, and triglycerides. Twenty-four females (66 ± 1 yr) were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either 3g/d of EPA and DHA or a placebo (PL, olive oil) for 12 wk. Exercise measurements were taken before and after 12 wk of supplementation and resting metabolic measures were made before and at 6 and 12 wk of supplementation. The results demonstrated that FO supplementation significantly increased resting metabolic rate by 14%, energy expenditure during exercise by 10%, and the rate of fat oxidation during rest by 19% and during exercise by 27%. In addition, FO consumption lowered triglyceride levels by 29% and increased lean mass by 4% and functional capacity by 7%, while no changes occurred in the PL group. In conclusion, FO may be a strategy to improve age-related physical and metabolic changes in healthy older females. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01734538.