Research
Hormonal
Dietary supplementation with unsaturated fatty acids (specifically Omega-3 PUFAs like EPA and DHA) preserves skeletal muscle mass and function in pathological conditions such as cancer cachexia and aging by reducing inflammation and enhancing protein synthesis.
For older adults or those with muscle-wasting conditions, increasing intake of Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) through diet or supplementation may help preserve muscle mass and strength by reducing inflammation and supporting protein synthesis.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
feeding mice... with a diet supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid, was shown to preserve gastrocnemius muscle mass... dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)... attenuated protein degradation... omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs have also been shown to increase phosphorylation of p70S6K1... indicative of its increased activity.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple animal studies and some human observational/supplementation studies, but largely preclinical.
Source
Lipid modulation of skeletal muscle mass and function
Christopher Lipina et al. · Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle · 2016
DOI 10.1002/jcsm.12144
narrative_reviewCited 240×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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