In a double-blind trial of 43 healthy adults aged 65-85, eight weeks of algae-derived omega-3 (2 g PUFA daily) did not improve recovery after 10 × 10 eccentric leg extensions. Quadriceps strength actually fell slightly more in the omega-3 group, with 10.9% lower maximal voluntary contraction at 24 hours and 9.8% lower at 72 hours versus placebo, though the overall time × group effect was borderline (P = .064). Creatine kinase rose 81% at 24 hours only in the placebo group; IL-6 and CRP did not differ.
The result matters because omega-3s are among the most widely marketed supplements for healthy aging, often with an implicit promise of better muscle recovery and preserved function. This trial adds a cautionary data point: anti-inflammatory effects on paper do not automatically translate into functional benefit, and blunting the inflammatory response after exercise may even be counterproductive, since some inflammation signals muscle repair and adaptation. That fits prior work showing anti-inflammatory agents like NSAIDs can dampen training adaptations. Still, the limitations are serious. With only 43 participants, the strength differences hover near the edge of significance and could be chance, especially given that the interaction test missed conventional thresholds. The damage protocol produced only modest symptoms, leaving little room to show benefit, and the moderator findings for physical activity and sex are exploratory. Practically, older adults should not expect omega-3s to speed exercise recovery, and should not assume they will harm it either. Larger trials measuring long-term training adaptation, not single-bout recovery, are needed. Overall, this is an incremental, mostly negative finding.