The authors begin this paper by pointing out that by the year 2050, there will be 2.1 billion people over the age of 60. Unfortunately, as many as 27% of older adults will be classified as having sarcopenia, which greatly increases the risk of falls, hospitalizations, and reduces the overall quality of life. While the authors note that regular resistance training can prevent the development of sarcopenia, compliance with resistance training among older adults is low, and worse, resistance training becomes less effective as you get older because of a phenomenon known as “anabolic resistance,” which refers to impaired muscle protein synthesis in response to resistance training and/or nutritional interventions to maintain muscle. Besides consuming adequate amounts of protein, nutritional intervention with omega-3 fatty acids has been proven to improve muscle synthesis in older adults. One study found that even without implementing resistance training, krill oil supplementation by itself over a 12-week period produced significant increases in grip and knee extensor strength, with a 17% improvement in neuromuscular reaction times (1). The authors feel that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA is particularly important, as it increases acetylcholine levels in the central nervous system, which can improve muscle strength by “facilitating a faster synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction.” The authors point out that lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with cognitive decline in healthy older adults (2) and that lower DHA levels in the brain result in impaired nerve growth and altered metabolism of important neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, all of which produce downstream declines in muscle function. The authors point out that there is no consensus as to the optimal dose of omega-3 fatty acids necessary to improve muscle mass and strength, as doses have varied between different studies. Nonetheless, after looking at the published literature the authors state the recommended minimum dose should be around 2 g per day, as this particular dosage has been shown to increase muscle strength and functional capacity in older women (3).

1. Alkhedhairi S, et al. The effect of krill oil supplementation on skeletal muscle function and size in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr 2022; 41:1228 1235.
2. Sambra V, et al. Docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids as neuroprotective nutrients throughout the life cycle. Nutrients 2021; 13:986.
3. Rodacki CL, Rodacki AL, Pereira G, et al. Fish-oil supplementation enhances the effects of strength training in elderly women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95:428 436.