ABSTRACT Background: Skeletal muscle fatigue due to unaccustomed hard and/or
prolonged physical exercise may be caused by increase of lactic acid,
inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress. Stimulation of H1
receptors by histamine and the ensuing production of nitric oxide
trigger the vasodilating effect of histamine on arterioles in exercise to
supply O2 and nutrients and removal of CO2 and waste products. Objective: Investigating the effect of omega 3 alone or with regular
exercise on improving muscle performance and delaying muscle
fatigue. Subjects and methods: Forty apparently healthy subjects were
studied. Depending on their previous physical conditioning status,
subjects were divided into four equal groups: Two sedentary groups
(group 1a without omega 3 therapy, and group 1b with omega 3), and
two athletes groups (group 2a without omega 3 therapy, and group 2b
with omega 3). Exercise tolerance was evaluated for each subject by
using a free swimming competition (100 meters). Pulmonary
ventilation, vital capacity, respiratory rate and heart rate were estimated
before and after competition. Total antioxidant, lipid peroxides, total
nitrate and nitrites, lactic acid and histamine levels were determined Results: Omega-treated and/or regular exercise volunteers showed
significantly increase of pulmonary ventilation, vital capacity, total
antioxidant, nitric oxide (NO) and histamine levels, and significantly
decrease of qualifying time competition, respiratory, resting and
maximal heart rates, plasma lipid peroxides, and lactic acid compared
with corresponding values of volunteers without Omega 3 or regular
exercise. The combination of omega 3 plus regular exercise was more
effective than each one alone. Conclusions: The results obtained in the
present study provided an evidence that daily administration of omega 3
and/or regular exercise improved muscle performance and delayed
fatigue through release of histamine and NO during exercise.