Macro partitioning
Omega-3 supplementation combined with aerobic exercise may enhance fat loss compared to exercise alone, primarily by upregulating lipid oxidative enzymes and downregulating lipogenic gene expression via PPAR-α activation.
If you are doing regular aerobic exercise, adding Omega-3s (around 3-6g/day of fish oil) might give you a slight edge in fat loss compared to exercise alone. However, do not expect dramatic results if you are not exercising or eating in a caloric deficit. The evidence is mixed, so prioritize your training and diet first.
n-3 fatty acids are claimed to act as metabolic fuel partitioners [13], upregulating lipid oxidative enzymes and downregulating lipogenic gene expression [35,62]. This is due, at least in part, to the ability of n-3 acids to bind and activate the various peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoforms [42,48,67].
Why this rating
The paper is a review of limited human trials with conflicting results and methodological limitations.
Source
Omega-3 fatty acids and exercise: a review of their combined effects on body composition and physical performance
Gül Tiryaki-Sönmez et al. · Biomedical Human Kinetics · 2011
DOI 10.2478/v10101-011-0007-4
More from this paper
- Omega-3 supplementation may improve exercise performance by enhancing blood flow to working muscles through increased brachial artery diameter and improved red blood cell deformability.Moderate
- Omega-3 supplementation may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improve recovery by modulating inflammatory eicosanoids and increasing blood flow.Moderate
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →