The Study
Effects of eight weeks of eicosapentaenoic acid and medium-chain triacylglycerol structured lipid intake on EPA/AA ratio and muscle performance in young men
This study is like a fair test where two groups of guys took different oils for 8 weeks. One group got a special oil, and the other got a regular mix. The special oil did a better job of raising a certain healthy blood marker. But it didn't help them lift weights longer or feel less tired. So we know the oil changed one thing in the blood — but not that it made them stronger or less sore.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists gave two kinds of fish oil to young men for 8 weeks: one where the good fats were chemically glued to other fats (STG), and one where they were just mixed (PM). They checked if either made them stronger or less tired during leg exercises.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Even though the body absorbed more EPA with STG, it didn’t translate to better muscle performance or less fatigue.
- 2The STG group had a bigger rise in EPA/AA ratio (a health marker), but both groups did the same number of leg lifts and felt just as tired afterward.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Year
2026
Authors
Takashi Shimizu, Y. Tsuchiya, Hisashi Ueda, Kaori Yokoi, Kenichi Yanagimoto, E. Ochi
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking fish oil supplements containing EPA and DHA may lead to very small or negligible gains in muscle size and strength for most people, and these changes are not large enough to be meaningful in a clinical or practical sense.
In healthy young men, taking EPA in a structured triglyceride form may result in a slightly higher level of EPA in the blood compared to a simple mixture of the same components, but the difference was not large enough to be considered statistically certain.
Taking EPA and DHA supplements in structured triglyceride or mixed forms for eight weeks does not make healthy young men stronger or less fatigued during weight training, even though their blood levels of EPA relative to AA increase.
In healthy young men, higher levels of EPA in the blood or a higher EPA-to-AA ratio do not show a measurable link to better muscular endurance or less muscle fatigue during resistance training.
When healthy young men take a specific form of omega-3 fatty acids bound to medium-chain triglycerides for eight weeks, their blood shows a higher ratio of EPA to arachidonic acid than when they take the same fatty acids in a simple mixed form.
Taking EPA in either structured triglyceride or mixed form raises the ratio of EPA to AA in the blood of healthy young men, and the effect depends on how much EPA is consumed, not how it is chemically arranged.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.