Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Omega-3 supplementation may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improve recovery by modulating inflammatory eicosanoids and increasing blood flow.
Omega-3s might help reduce muscle soreness after intense workouts, but the evidence is not consistent. Do not rely on them to eliminate soreness. Prioritize sleep, hydration, and protein intake for recovery.
ModerateConditionalLOW confidence
Given the antagonistic effect of n-3 acids on pro-inflammatory eicosanoids [10], supplementation may help to alleviate exercise-related delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)... Some studies have shown a beneficial effect [75] while others have not [41].
Why this rating
Evidence is mixed, with some studies showing benefit and others not.
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
narrative_reviewCited 13×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- 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.Moderate
- 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
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