# Effect of 21-Day Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Exercise-Induced Secretory Factors and Inflammation Status in Young Men: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial

**Authors:** Magdalena Konert, Paulina Brzezińska, Andrzej Kochanowicz, Elżbieta Piskorska, Błażej Stankiewicz, Ewa Polkowska, Tomasz Sledzinski, Adriana Mika, Jędrzej Antosiewicz, Jan Mieszkowski

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/nu18030539 · Nutrients · 2026-02-06

## TL;DR

This study found that 21 days of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in young men affected inflammation markers and immune response after exercise, but did not improve anaerobic performance.

## Contribution

The study is the first to investigate the combined effects of omega-3 supplementation and exercise on exerkines and inflammation in physically active young men.

## Key findings

- Omega-3 supplementation modified PUFA content in the blood.
- Supplementation influenced inflammation markers like IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 after exercise.
- No significant changes in anaerobic performance were observed.

## Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of 21-day dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the levels of postexercise inflammation response, oxidative stress, and selected exerkine secretion among physically active young men. Methods: In a randomized double-blind study, 24 physically active men were assigned to two groups: a supplementation group (n = 12), receiving 3250 mg of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) daily, and a placebo group (n = 12). Blood samples were collected before and after twenty-one days of dietary supplementation to measure total fatty acids and inflammatory markers, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, BDNF, and FGF23. Results: After 21 days of n-3 fatty acid supplementation, there were no significant changes in anaerobic performance parameters. However, significant interactions were found in the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), FGF-23, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-6, and IL-10 in response to exercise and supplementation. Conclusions: 21 days of n-3 fatty acid supplementation modified PUFA content and influenced inflammation status, but did not affect maximal anaerobic performance.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** IL1B (interleukin 1 beta), IL6 (interleukin 6), IL10 (interleukin 10), BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), IL1R1 (interleukin 1 receptor type 1)
- **Chemicals:** omega-3 fatty acids (PubChem CID 56842239)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) [NCBI Gene 627] {aka ANON2, BULN2}, IL1RN (interleukin 1 receptor antagonist) [NCBI Gene 3557] {aka CRMO2, DIRA, ICIL-1RA, IL-1RN, IL-1ra, IL-1ra3}, FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23) [NCBI Gene 8074] {aka ADHR, FGFN, HFTC2, HPDR2, HYPF, PHPTC}, IL10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 3586] {aka CSIF, GVHDS, IL-10, IL10A, TGIF}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}
- **Diseases:** Inflammation (MESH:D007249)
- **Chemicals:** PUFA (MESH:D005231), Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (MESH:D015525), exerkine (-), fatty acids (MESH:D005227)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

_Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12899293/full.md

## Figures

4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12899293/full.md

## References

78 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12899293/full.md

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12899293