EPA/DHA dietary supplementation attenuates exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in physically active asthmatic males

Abstract

Asthma is a common and prevalent health problem, globally affecting over 300 million individuals. Observational and intervention studies have shown beneficial effects of omega-3 [Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] on asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Due to health side effects with pharmacological medication, use of complementary therapies including omega-3 supplementation is gaining impetus. A double-blinded randomised crossover pilot study with 3 weeks of supplementation (3.2 g EPA and 2.2 g DHA or placebo) was conducted to assess the effect of omega-3 supplementation in physically active males with EIB (n = 9, 21 ± 0.9 years, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1-s/Forced Vital Capacity (FEV₁/FVC) = 77 ± 1.4). At the start of study, participants showed abnormal lung function, typical drop of >10% in their FEV₁ following exercise-challenge tests; elevated levels of Exhaled-breath Nitric oxide, FeNO (>40 ppb). The 3-week supplementation resulted in a significant improvement in post-exercise pulmonary function (PF) (<10% drop in post-exercise FEV₁/FVC), supported by significant reduction in serum IL-6 levels (37% reduction). Although no significant changes were observed for Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) total lipid composition for EPA/DHA, non-significant increase in total PBMC EPA/DHA with reduction in omega-6 fatty acid (Arachidonic Acid) was observed. This pilot study shows a beneficial effect of 3 weeks of omega-3 supplementation on PF for EIB-participants.

Keywords:

• asthma
• exercise
• PBMC
• fish oil
• omega-3
• nitric oxide

Public Interest Statement

Fish oil has received much attention within the mainstream press with regard to its beneficial impacts upon health and well-being. This article presents data from a pilot study which focuses upon the impact of 3 weeks of dietary supplementation with daily doses of fish oil (comprising of omega-3 fatty acids) in a group of physically active male participants exercising 2–4 times/week, who suffer from clinically diagnosed asthma and exercise-induced asthma. The results of this study suggest that dietary supplementation with omega-3 could improve exercise-induced asthma symptoms in physically active males; however, a larger population-based study is warranted to confirm the findings and further evaluate the effect of omega-3 on associated markers of inflammation.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all participants and University support staff who contributed to the study. The authors also thank Biocare, UK and Bionovate, UK for providing free supplements to support the study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by Loughborough University.

Notes on contributors

Aishwarya Kumar

Aishwarya Kumar is a senior research scientist at Clinical Trial Service Unit, Oxford University. This work is part of her doctoral research. She has been a part of research group led by Martin R. Lindley, a senior lecturer in Human-Biology and Exercise-Physiology at Loughborough University, UK. He is the academic lead for Translational Chemical Biology, a cross-discipline group focused upon interrogating mechanism of action of naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. fish oil). Aishwarya’s been a part of a research group led by Sarabjit S Mastana, a senior lecturer in Human Biology at Loughborough University. His work extends to Human Genomic Studies particularly focusing on genetic epidemiological analyses of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Hypertension and Osteoporosis among native and migrant populations. Aishwarya’s current research at CTSU involves development of new high-throughput automated analytical techniques for use in large-scale blood-based epidemiological studies.