Effects of fish oil supplementation in the sport performance

Fish oils originate from the tissues of oily fish. Sharks, swordfish, tilefish, and albacore tuna contain high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both forms of omega-3fatty acids. Some individuals take fish oil supplements to help attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and disorders related to the brain. Fish consumption and fish oil supplementation have been dubbed brain food because of the relationship between these omega-3 fatty acids and improvement in cognitive function. Fish oil supplementation has been shown to decrease blood triglyceride levels in both athletes and no athletes. Although fish oil and consumption of fish have been linked to prevention of a number of disorders and diseases, it is important to read the scientific literature to ascertain what benefits have been found and what benefits are anecdotal. Fish oil supplementation has recently been proposed as an ergogenic aid for athletes. This claim is mainly based on the mechanistic evidence that fish oil and then omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids exerts anti-inflammatory properties and acts to change the functional capacity of the muscle cell by changing the fluidity of the protein and lipid membrane within the cell membrane. This overview summarized the scientific data related to the effectiveness of fish oil supplementation to improve athlete performance in the context of muscle adaptation, energy metabolism, muscle recovery and injury prevention, is summarized. Based on the available information, only some scientific evidence proves that supplementation with fish oil can have a positive effect on spot performance; therefore, at present, it is not possible to conclude that the integration of fish oil is always effective and ergogenic. Keywords: Fish oil, -3fatty acids, -3PUFA, omega-3, performance, supplementation.