Taking omega-3 supplements like EPA and DHA might help these fats get into your muscle and energy-producing parts of cells, which could help your muscles grow and work better—but studies in healthy people don’t always agree on whether it actually boosts muscle building.

We’ve reviewed the available evidence on whether omega-3 supplements increase muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults, and what we’ve found so far is limited but suggestive. Two assertions support the idea that omega-3s like EPA and DHA might help these fats enter muscle cells and their energy-producing parts, which could create conditions favorable for muscle growth — but the studies in healthy people don’t consistently show a clear boost in actual muscle building [1]. We don’t have any studies that directly contradict this, but we also don’t have strong, repeated evidence showing a reliable increase in muscle protein synthesis after taking omega-3 supplements. The mechanism — how these fats might interact with muscle cell function — is plausible, but whether that translates to measurable changes in muscle growth in healthy adults remains unclear. The evidence we’ve reviewed leans toward the possibility that omega-3s play a supportive role, but we can’t say for sure whether taking them leads to more muscle protein being made. There’s not enough consistent data to determine if this effect is meaningful or just occasional. If you’re already eating enough protein and training regularly, adding omega-3 supplements might help your muscles function better at a cellular level — but don’t expect them to be a magic trigger for growth. More research is needed to understand if and how this works in real-world settings.