Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32383739›Full record

SynthesisAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2020

Are There Benefits from the Use of Fish Oil Supplements in Athletes? A Systematic Review.

Nathan A Lewis, Diarmuid Daniels, Philip C Calder, Lindy M Castell, Charles R Pedlar

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The effect of fish oil supplementation on resistance training-induced adaptations.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2023
    Trial
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Observational
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. International society of sports nutrition position stand: tactical athlete nutrition.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2022
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Nathan A LewisEnglish Institute of Sport, Sports Training Village, University of Bath, United Kingdom.
Diarmuid DanielsFaculty of Sport, Health and Applied Science, St Mary's University, London, United Kingdom.
Philip C CalderSchool of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Lindy M CastellGreen Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Charles R PedlarFaculty of Sport, Health and Applied Science, St Mary's University, London, United Kingdom.
Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway · IEEnglish Institute of Sport · GBUniversity Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust · GBUniversity of Oxford · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite almost 25 y of fish oil supplementation (FS) research in athletes and widespread use by the athletic community, no systematic reviews of FS in athletes have been conducted. The objectives of this systematic review are to: 1) provide a summary of the effect of FS on the athlete's physiology, health, and performance; 2) report on the quality of the evidence; 3) document any side effects as reported in the athlete research; 4) discuss any risks associated with FS use; and 5) provide guidance for FS use and highlight gaps for future research. Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched up until April 2019. Only randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) in athletes, assessing the effect of FS on a health, physiological/biochemical, or performance variable were included. Of the 137 papers identified through searches, 32 met inclusion criteria for final analysis. Athletes varied in classification from recreational to elite, and from Olympic to professional sports. Mean age for participants was 24.9 ± 4.5 y, with 70% of RCTs in males. We report consistent effects for FS on reaction time, mood, cardiovascular dynamics in cyclists, skeletal muscle recovery, the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α, and postexercise NO responses. No clear effects on endurance performance, lung function, muscle force, or training adaptation were evident. Methodological quality, applying the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, ranged from 6 to a maximum of 11, with only 4 RCTs reporting effect sizes. Few negative outcomes were reported. We report various effects for FS on the athlete's physiology; the most consistent findings were on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, proinflammatory cytokines, and skeletal muscle. We provide recommendations for future research and discuss the potential risks with FS use.

Indexed as

Dietary SupplementsFish OilsAthletesHumansMaleMuscle, SkeletalFish OilsDHAEPAexerciseinflammationinjurymood stateperformancerecovery

Identifiers

PMID32383739
PMCPMC7490155
OpenAlexW3021489577

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.