# The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Sarcopenia and Aging Muscle

## TL;DR

Omega-3 fatty acids, especially when combined with exercise, may help older adults maintain muscle health and reduce sarcopenia risks.

## Contribution

This review provides a synthesis of evidence showing that omega-3 PUFA supplementation can support muscle health in older adults through multiple biological pathways.

## Key findings

- Omega-3 supplementation at doses exceeding 2 g/day improves muscle mass and function in older adults.
- Combining omega-3s with resistance exercise yields more pronounced benefits, particularly in women.
- Omega-3s may be most effective as part of multimodal interventions rather than standalone treatments.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Sarcopenia affects approximately 15% of community-dwelling older adults worldwide and is associated with increased risks of falls, frailty, functional decline, and mortality.Chronic low-grade inflammation, anabolic resistance, and mitochondrial dysfunction in aging populations create an urgent need for accessible nutritional strategies to preserve muscle health.

Sarcopenia affects approximately 15% of community-dwelling older adults worldwide and is associated with increased risks of falls, frailty, functional decline, and mortality.

Chronic low-grade inflammation, anabolic resistance, and mitochondrial dysfunction in aging populations create an urgent need for accessible nutritional strategies to preserve muscle health.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
This review synthesizes mechanistic and clinical evidence demonstrating that omega-3 PUFA supplementation, particularly at doses exceeding 2 g/day, can support muscle mass and function in older adults through anti-inflammatory, anabolic, and mitochondrial pathways.The findings highlight that omega-3 supplementation is most effective when combined with resistance exercise as part of a multimodal approach, informing how interventions should be designed for aging populations.

This review synthesizes mechanistic and clinical evidence demonstrating that omega-3 PUFA supplementation, particularly at doses exceeding 2 g/day, can support muscle mass and function in older adults through anti-inflammatory, anabolic, and mitochondrial pathways.

The findings highlight that omega-3 supplementation is most effective when combined with resistance exercise as part of a multimodal approach, informing how interventions should be designed for aging populations.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Clinicians and policymakers should consider omega-3 PUFA supplementation as a safe, accessible complement to exercise-based strategies for managing sarcopenia, particularly in populations with elevated inflammatory burden.Future public health guidelines and research should prioritize establishing optimal dosing strategies, clarifying sex-specific responses, and evaluating omega-3 supplementation within multimodal intervention frameworks.

Clinicians and policymakers should consider omega-3 PUFA supplementation as a safe, accessible complement to exercise-based strategies for managing sarcopenia, particularly in populations with elevated inflammatory burden.

Future public health guidelines and research should prioritize establishing optimal dosing strategies, clarifying sex-specific responses, and evaluating omega-3 supplementation within multimodal intervention frameworks.

Sarcopenia, characterized by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, represents a major public health challenge in aging populations. This condition affects approximately 10–16% of community-dwelling older adults and is associated with increased risks of falls, frailty, functional decline, and mortality. The pathogenesis of sarcopenia involves chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging), oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and anabolic resistance. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have emerged as promising nutritional interventions due to their anti-inflammatory properties and potential anabolic effects on skeletal muscle. This comprehensive review evaluates the current evidence on omega-3 PUFA supplementation for the attenuation and management of sarcopenia. Mechanistically, omega-3 PUFAs appear to enhance muscle protein synthesis through activation of the mTOR-p70S6K signaling pathway, reduce inflammation via specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), improve mitochondrial bioenergetics, and attenuate muscle disuse atrophy. Clinical trials demonstrate that omega-3 supplementation, particularly at doses exceeding 2 g/day of combined EPA and DHA, can increase thigh muscle volume, handgrip strength, and one-repetition maximum strength in older adults. When combined with resistance exercise training, the benefits appear more pronounced, especially in women. However, heterogeneity in study designs, intervention durations, dosages, and outcome measures has produced some conflicting results. Large-scale trials, such as the MAPT study, have shown null findings for long-term supplementation alone, suggesting that omega-3s may be most effective as part of multimodal interventions. The evidence also supports benefits in clinical populations at risk for muscle wasting, including cancer patients experiencing cachexia and individuals with neuromuscular disorders. Future research should focus on identifying optimal dosing strategies, understanding sex-specific responses, and elucidating the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of omega-3s with exercise. Overall, omega-3 PUFA supplementation represents a safe, accessible, and potentially effective nutritional strategy for attenuating muscle decline in aging and clinical populations, though its benefits appear most pronounced when combined with resistance exercise as part of a multimodal approach.