Effects of 12 Weeks of Omega 3 Supplementation on Resting Metabolic Rate

Overview

Fatty acids are the main components of the cell membranes. It has been demonstrated that diet can alter the characteristics and function of many membranes in the body, which has an effect on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Over the last two decades there has been a substantial rise in the research of the effects of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on bodily function. There are two fatty acids that are of particular interest to researchers, eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids have unique unsaturated structures, and their incorporation into biological membranes seems to generate important and positive physiological effects. The body is unable to synthesize these fatty acids in high concentrations to elicit significant effects, so they must be obtained through diet in food or via supplementation. It has been suggested that EPA and DHA supplementation increases resting metabolic rate (RMR) in humans, in part by increasing the use of fat as a fuel during rest. There are a limited number of studies examining the effects of Omega 3 supplementation on RMR. Some have found an increase in RMR while others have found no change. These studies have some limitations, as that they have either used a small sample size, a low omega fatty acid dose and/or short supplementation periods. Due to the variable results, the investigators will improve the reliability of the RMR measurements by making measures on each subject during two consecutive days at each time point that it is measured (0, 6 and 12 weeks). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effects of 12 weeks of omega 3 supplementation (3 g/d) on healthy young adults vs. the supplementation of a placebo. The researchers hypothesize that EPA and DHA supplementation will result in an increase in RMR and fat oxidation in some subjects and not in others. The duplicate RMR measures will determine the prevalence and magnitude of the omega 3 supplementation.