SynthesisAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2023
The Influence of n-3PUFA Supplementation on Muscle Strength, Mass, and Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Preventive Strategies to Reduce Sarcopenia Risk During GLP-1-Based Anti-Obesity Therapy.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Inflammaging and Sarcopenia as Interconnected Hallmarks of Aging: Integrative Roles of Bioactive Compounds and Lifestyle Interventions.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Reframing Nutraceuticals in Knee Osteoarthritis with Sarcopenia: A Muscle-Joint-Centered Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Multi-Axis Reprogramming of Muscle-Metabolic Crosstalk by HiLo Platinum™ Restores Strength in Prediabetes via Mitochondrial Activation and Gut Microbiome Remodeling.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Optimizing Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids for Healthy Ageing: Human Intake Evidence and Dairy Cow Dietary Interventions for Milk Enrichment.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Sarcopenia and Aging Muscle.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- Can Dietary Supplements Support Muscle Function and Physical Activity? A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2025Review
- The use of three-dimensional primary human myospheres to explore skeletal muscle effects of in vivo krill oil supplementation.In vitro models · 2025Article
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Muscle Strength-Current State of Knowledge and Future Perspectives.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Association between Japanese Diet Adherence and Muscle Weakness in Japanese Adults Aged ≥50 Years: Findings from the JSTAR Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The effects of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) supplementation on skeletal muscle are currently unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize all available evidence regarding the influence of n-3PUFA supplementation on muscle mass, strength, and function in healthy young and older adults. Four databases were searched (Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and SportDiscus). Predefined eligibility criteria were determined according to Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, and Study Design. Only peer-reviewed studies were included. The Cochrane RoB2 Tool and the NutriGrade approach were used to access risk of bias and certainty in evidence. Effect sizes were calculated using pre-post scores and analyzed using a three-level, random-effects meta-analysis. When sufficient studies were available, subanalyses were performed in the muscle mass, strength, and function outcomes according to participant's age (<60 or ≥60 years), supplementation dosage (<2 or ≥2 g/day), and training intervention ("resistance training" vs. "none or other"). Overall, 14 individual studies were included, total 1443 participants (913 females; 520 males) and 52 outcomes measures. Studies had high overall risk of bias and consideration of all NutriGrade elements resulted in a certainty assessment of moderate meta-evidence for all outcomes. n-3PUFA supplementation had no significant effect on muscle mass (standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.07 [95% CI: -0.02, 0.17], P = 0.11) and muscle function (SMD = 0.03 [95% CI: -0.09, 0.15], P = 0.58), but it showed a very small albeit significant positive effect on muscle strength (SMD = 0.12 [95% CI: 0.006, 0.24], P = 0.04) in participants when compared with placebo. Subgroup analyses showed that age, supplementation dose, or cosupplementation alongside resistance training did not influence these responses. In conclusion, our analyses indicated that n-3PUFA supplementation may lead to very small increases in muscle strength but did not impact muscle mass and function in healthy young and older adults. To our knowledge, this is the first review and meta-analysis investigating whether n-3PUFA supplementation can lead to increases in muscle strength, mass, and function in healthy adults. Registered protocol: doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2FWQT.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.