Can fish oil make your muscles stronger?
Skeletal muscle protein turnover and mitochondrial responses to omega-3 fatty acid supplementation: an update
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Omega-3s increase muscle mass and strength without increasing muscle protein synthesis rates in healthy adults.
It defies the central dogma of muscle growth: more MPS = more muscle. Here, muscle improves without the expected molecular trigger, suggesting other mechanisms like reduced breakdown or better cell function are at play.
Practical Takeaways
If you're over 65, recovering from illness, or at risk of sarcopenia, take 1–2g of EPA+DHA daily to help preserve muscle mass.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Omega-3s increase muscle mass and strength without increasing muscle protein synthesis rates in healthy adults.
It defies the central dogma of muscle growth: more MPS = more muscle. Here, muscle improves without the expected molecular trigger, suggesting other mechanisms like reduced breakdown or better cell function are at play.
Practical Takeaways
If you're over 65, recovering from illness, or at risk of sarcopenia, take 1–2g of EPA+DHA daily to help preserve muscle mass.
Publication
Journal
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
Year
2026
Authors
Jack E Hayden, Colleen S Deane
Related Content
Claims (7)
As we age, tiny amounts of ongoing body inflammation can weaken our muscle power and size, but taking omega-3 fatty acids—like those in fish oil—may help protect our muscles by calming down that inflammation and keeping our energy factories (mitochondria) working well.
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.
Taking omega-3 fatty acids might help your muscle cells work better and stay healthier as you age or if you're inactive, but it doesn't reliably make your muscles grow or repair faster.
Taking omega-3 fatty acids might help reduce harmful stress in muscle cells, especially as we age or if we're sick, and this could help muscles stay stronger and work better — but this has only been seen in animal or lab studies so far.
Taking omega-3 supplements might help your muscles grow better when you eat protein or work out, especially if you're sick or have a medical condition—but it doesn't always work for healthy people.