Omega 3 Sarcopenia: can fish oil cure or prevent it?

The omega-3s in fish oil may slow the normal decline in muscle mass and function in healthy older people. In fact, taking supplements for 6 months would be able to increase muscle volume and strength by about 4 percent.

This is stated by new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (USA), and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Sarcopenia: a physiological phenomenon during aging

Loss of muscle mass (or sarcopenia) is a natural process of aging, and researchers estimate that after age 50, about 1 to 2 percent of muscle is lost each year. Muscle strength also declines with increasing age, at an annual rate of 1.5% from age 50, accelerating to 3% after age 60. Sarcopenia can affect motor skills by impairing, in severe cases, range of motion and balance. It also contributes to an increased risk of falls and related fractures, and also affects bone aging to an important extent by promoting the onset of osteoporosis.

EPA and DHA act better than hormone-based treatments

Dr. Smith, who directed the study, and his collaborators recruited 60 healthy elderly subjects, aged 60 to 85 years. Each was randomly assigned daily omega-3 supplements: 1.86 grams of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and 1.5 grams of DHA (docosahexanoic acid); or a control substance (corn oil).

After 6 months of treatment, the results of the analysis conducted on the 44 people who had completed the study showed that the participants who had taken EPA and DHA showed, compared with the control group, an increase in thigh muscle volume of 3.6 percent and the increase in grip strength of 2.3 kg. In addition, upper and lower muscle strength and average leg muscle power appeared increased. The researchers who conducted the study found that these results were less than those from exercise, but equal to or greater than those from treatment with testosterone, growth hormone or dehydroepiandrosterone therapy, in older adults. In addition, the treatment was well tolerated with only mild side effects.

Omega-3s as a future therapy?

These data, according to the researchers, suggest that 6 months of Omega-3 treatment can slow normal age-related loss of muscle mass and function by 2 to 3 years, and demonstrate that omega-3 from fish oil can be considered as a potential therapy to slow and possibly prevent or cure sarcopenia. The mechanism of action has not been elucidated, so further studies are needed to determine whether long-term omega-3 therapy can sufficiently act positively on muscle mass. 

Source: G.I. Smith, S. Julliand, D.N. Reeds, D.R. Sinacore, S. Klein, B. Mittendorfer. "Fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA therapy increases muscle mass and function in healthy older adults," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.105833