Eight weeks of fish oil supplementation does not prevent sitting-induced leg endothelial dysfunction

Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2019 Oct 31. Eight weeks of fish oil supplementation does not prevent sitting-induced leg endothelial dysfunction. Morishima T1, Tsuchiya Y2, Padilla J3, Ochi E4. Author information 1 Hosei University, 12814, Tokyo, Japan ; takuma.morishima.87@hosei.ac.jp. 2 Teikyo Heisei University, Faculty of Modern Life, Tokyo, Japan ; y.tsuchiya@thu.ac.jp. 3 University of Missouri , 1600 E. Rollins , E102 Vet Med Bldg , Columbia, Missouri, United States , 65211 ; padillaja@missouri.edu. 4 Hosei University, Faculty of Bioscience and Applied Chemistry , 3-7- 2, Kajino, Koganei, , Tokyo, Japan , 184-8584 ; ochi@hosei.ac.jp. Abstract Prolonged sitting impairs leg endothelial function and this impairment is thought to be mediated by a sustained reduction in blood flow-induced shear stress. However, whether nutritional strategies can be used to prevent sitting-induced leg endothelial dysfunction remains largely unknown. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that eight weeks of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation, known to exert cardiovascular protection, would prevent endothelial dysfunction associated with sitting. Nineteen healthy men were randomly assigned to a placebo group (n = 9) or EPA+DHA group (n = 10) in a double-blind fashion. The EPA+DHA group was administered EPA-rich fish oil, containing 600 mg EPA and 260 mg DHA per day for 8 weeks. The placebo group received matching capsules for the same duration of time. Popliteal artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured at baseline (prior to the 8-week intervention) and before and after a 3-hour sitting period (after 8-week intervention). Throughout the course of the sitting period, blood pressure, popliteal artery diameter and blood velocity were measured every hour. Over the course of sitting period, popliteal artery blood flow and shear rate were markedly and similarly reduced in both groups (P < 0.05). However, three hours of sitting impaired popliteal artery FMD to the same extent in both groups (P < 0.05). Novelty: • Daily EPA and DHA supplementation is not effective at preventing the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting on leg endothelial function • Low total dose of EPA and DHA for young healthy subjects may cause the results. Read More