Adding Fish Oil to Whey Protein, Leucine and Carbohydrate Over a 6 Week Supplementation Period Attenuates Muscle Soreness Following Eccentric Exercise in Competitive Soccer Players

Soccer players often experience eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage given the physical demands of soccer match-play. Since long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) enhance muscle sensitivity to protein supplementation, dietary supplementation with a combination of fish oil-derived n-3PUFA, protein and carbohydrate may promote exercise recovery. This study examined the influence of adding n-3PUFA to a whey protein, leucine and carbohydrate containing beverage over a 6 week supplementation period on physiological markers of recovery measured over 3 days following eccentric exercise. Competitive soccer players were assigned to one of three conditions (2 × 200mL): FO (n=10) contained n-3PUFA (1100mg DHA/EPA – approx. 550mg DHA, 550mg EPA), whey protein (15g), leucine (1.8g) and carbohydrate (20g); PRO (n=10) contained whey protein (15g), leucine (1.8g) and carbohydrate (20g) and CHO (n=10) contained carbohydrate (24g). Eccentric exercise consisted of unilateral knee extension/flexion contractions on both legs separately. Maximal force production was impaired by 22% during the 72 hour recovery period following eccentric exercise (p