February Issue 2024

Thielecke and Blannin discovered that
anaerobic endurance improved after
supplementation with 4.9g
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 5n-3) and 1.4g
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 6n-3) over four
weeks in a group of soccer players. 5
Furthermore, the researchers found that
smaller amounts of EPA and DHA tended to
reduce mean exercise heart rate and
improved heart rate recovery for
recreational participants compared to
athletes. Thielecke and Blannin determined
that the difference for this outcome is
higher metabolic flux in athletes which may
require them to consume more EPA and
DHA to obtain the benefits. 5
To explore the effective use of n-3 fatty
acid supplementation on athletes,
Kawamura et al. conducted a randomized,
controlled trial to discover if perilla oil, a
rich α-linolenic acid, fuels energy and
improves gut function for female volleyball
athletes. 4 Having a healthy gut can
improve energy metabolism during exercise
and can prevent inflammation and fatigue;
ultimately, contributing to a negative
recovery. The researchers gathered thirtysix
participants and divided them into three
groups according to their perilla oil intake:
high oil intake (HOI) 9g/d, low oil intake
(LOI) 3g/d, and placebo supplementation
(PLA) group. The athletes were told to
maintain their regular diet, training, and
lifestyle during the intervention. Areas of
measurement included body weight, body
composition, gut microbiota, bacterial DNA
from feces, and a constipation score to
assess any difficulty with defecating, the
presence of abdominal pain, or infrequent
bowel movements.
In terms of the study results, there were no
significant differences in anthropometric
measurements between groups. Upon
examining the fecal microbiota for bacterial
changes, Kawamura et al. discovered that
Proteobacteria significantly decreased
post-intervention compared to preintervention
for participants in the HOI
group. In addition, Firmicutes significantly
decreased post-intervention compared to
pre-intervention for participants in the LOI
group. In contrast, Bacteroidetes
significantly increased post-intervention
compared to pre-intervention for
participants in the LOI group. Furthermore,
the constipation score significantly
decreased in the HOI and LOI groups
compared to no change demonstrated in
the PLA group. Overall, the researchers
found that 3g/d of perilla oil in eight weeks
can increase the abundance of Butyrate -
producing bacteria and relieve constipation
in trained female volleyball players. The
increase in Bacteroidetes for the LOI
group, in turn, decreased the F:B ratio
leading to the production of SCFA. For this
study, low amounts of perilla oil supported
to suppression of constipation and
increased bacteria to improve gut function
in high-intensity trained athletes improving
performance. 4
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