Effect of DHA-Rich Fish Oil Supplementation on Lymphocyte Function Before and After a Marathon Race
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: May 2011 - Volume 43 - Issue 5 - p 335 Cury-Boaventura, Maria F.1; Santos, Vinicius C.1; Levada-Pires, Adriana C.2; Alves, Samia R.1; Curi, Rui2; Pithon-Curi, Tania C.1
Prolonged intense exercise such as marathon race is associated with transient suppression of immune function. Polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-3 have anti-inflammatory and beneficial effects on exercise. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fish oil (FO) rich in docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on lymphocyte function before and after a marathon race.
METHODS: Twenty one athletes (age: 36+ 0.2 years; body mass: 60 + 1.1 kg, height: 164 + 0.01 cm, body fat: 9.4 + 0.6, BMI: 22.4 + 0.4 kg/m2; race duration: 2h50min + 7 min; training program: 153 + 15 km/wk) were recruited. Eight marathon runners were supplemented with 3 g of FO per day. The following determinations were carried out: Lymphocyte proliferation, cytokines production (IL-2, IL-10, TNF-α and IL-1B) and parameters of lymphocyte death (viability, DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization, mitochondrial depolarization).
RESULTS: Marathon race had no effect on lymphocyte proliferation, DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial membrane polarization but increased phosphatidylserine externalization (by 35 %, p<0.001) and loss integrity membrane (by 20 %, P<0.01) and decrease IL-2, TNF-α, IL-1 B and IL-10 production by 50-80 % (p<0.05), in athletes without supplementation. However, in supplemented athletes we observed an increase in lymphocyte proliferation before and after marathon race in comparison to non supplemented (P<0.001) and no alteration in IL-2, TNF-α, IL-1 B and IL-10 production before and after race indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. Fish oil supplementation didn`t affect lymphocyte death induced by marathon race.
CONCLUSIONS: Fish oil supplementation increase lymphocyte proliferation, prevent alteration of cytokine production after race but not prevented lymphocyte death. DHA rich-Fish oil chronic supplementation is partially benefic to lymphocyte function in marathon runners.
