Changes in erythrocyte fatty acid profile after 12 weeks of omega-3 fatty acid (EPA+DHA) supplementation and endurance training in amateur runners

Abstract

Fatty acid (FA) profiles can be examined in both plasma and red blood cells (RBCs), with the latter showing the average FA concentrations over the past 3-4 months and not being susceptible to daily fluctuations dependent on diet or supplementation. This study provides data on changes in the FA profile in RBCs as a result of 12 weeks supplementation with long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs; EPA and DHA) and training intervention in amateur runners. The study included 26 amateur runners, 14 of whom were assigned to the n-3 PUFA supplementation group (2234 mg of EPA and 916 mg of DHA daily) and 12 to the placebo group; both groups underwent the exercise training. After the 12-week intervention, runners taking n-3 PUFAs showed statistically significant increases in EPA, docosapentanoic acid, DHA and total PUFAs, and decreases in lignoceric, palmitoleic, vaccenic, gondoic, linoleic, eicosadienoic, dihomo-γ-linolenic, and arachidonic acids compared to placebo group. In addition, increases in omega-3 index, delta 9-desaturase index (C16), and PUFA/MUFA index, and a decrease in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and AA/EPA ratio was observed. There were no changes in RBC FAs in the placebo group indicating that exercise training had no effect on RBC FAs. This study provides novel insights into the changes in FA profile in RBCs with n-3 PUFA supplementation, the importance of which in both sports and health scenarios requires further research.