The Omega-3 Index in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Collegiate Football Athletes

Abstract

Context The essential omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exhibit vital biological roles and are critical for cardiovascular and neurologic health. Compared with the general population, football athletes may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Further, those same athletes are also exposed to repetitive head impacts, which may lead to long-term neurologic deficits. Both diets high in ω-3 FAs and supplementation with ω-3 FAs have been reported to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and early evidence suggests a potential neuroprotective effect of supplementation. Objective To determine the (1) erythrocyte content of DHA and EPA, as measured by the Omega-3 Index, expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids, in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football athletes and (2) distribution across the Omega-3 Index risk zones established for cardiovascular disease: high risk, <4%; intermediate risk, 4% to 8%; and low risk, >8%. Design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting Multicenter trial. Patients or Other Participants Deidentified data including complete erythrocyte fatty acid profile from the 2017–2018 season, age at time of testing, height, weight, and ethnicity were collected from 404 athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s) Omega-3 Index. Results About 34% of athletes (n = 138) had an Omega-3 Index considered high risk (<4%), and 66% (n = 266) had a risk considered intermediate (4%–8%). None had a low-risk Omega-3 Index. Conclusions The Omega-3 Index is a simple, minimally invasive test of ω-3 FA status. Our data indicate that football athletes may be deficient in the ω-3 FAs DHA and EPA. The fact that no athlete had an Omega-3 Index associated with low risk suggests football athletes may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease in later life.

Dietary and Biological Assessment of Omega-3 Status of Collegiate Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

“…The sub-optimal O3i observed for in our study (4.3%) was similar to previous observations,(39,44,53,54) and did not differ based on sex or sport. While further research is needed to investigate potential differences in needs between athletes of different sex and sport, these we observed collegiate athletes collectively have low ω-3 FA status.…”

“…While the majority of collegiate athletes participating in the present study did not meet current dietary ω-3 FA recommendations (Table 1), similar to previous observations(44,46) it is important to note that these guidelines are not specific to athletes. Further research is needed to establish athlete-specific recommendations, especially taking into consideration the physiological implications of advanced levels of training on metabolism and the inflammatory response.…”

“…Given the pattern of low ω-3 FA intake observed in collegiate athletes,(39,44) clinicians should consider nutritional interventions aimed at improving ω-3 FA status. One strategy could be increasing consumption of fish and seafood, the richest sources of EPA + DHA, as nearly half of participants reported no fish consumption in the last 6 months.…”

“…This might suggest external factors such as higher average body mass, higher caloric needs and availability of athletic department nutrition resources drove the observed increases in EPA+DHA intake and was not significant enough to impact blood status. To our knowledge, no U.S.-based athletes have been documented in the peer reviewed literature as having O3i greater than 8%,(39,44) the proposed benchmark for optimal cardiovascular health. (4–6) Given the increasing risk of cardiovascular disease reported among athletes,(55) a focus on improved O3i is warranted.…”

“…(42,43) An O3i <4% has been associated with the highest risk for the development of cardiovascular disease; whereas, 4-8% is considered moderate risk and ≥8% is the lowest risk. (4–6) Recently, an average O3i of 4.4% was observed among collegiate football athletes at four U.S. universities,(44) however a large scale assessment of O3i including non-football athletes has not been described in the peer reviewed published literature, to our knowledge.…”