Eating Oily Fish and Exercising Regularly Could Slow Down Muscle Degradation Caused by Aging

Muscle degradation caused by aging could be slowed down by eating oily fish meal three times a week in tandem with regular exercise, a new study has revealed.

As a person ages, his muscle deteriorates by 0.5 percent to 2 percent in a year due to a condition known as sarcopenia. Researchers at Aberdeen University said that fish oil was rich in two types of Omega-3 fatty acid, DHA and EPA, which exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. The researchers added that a combination of regular intake of fish oil could double the benefits of muscle strength gained through exercise.

The researchers conducted the study on a group of women over a period of 12 weeks and found that those who exercised regularly and also consumed fish oil improved their muscle strength by 20 percent compared to those who only exercised during the study period.

"We believe the benefits of fish oil are due to a number of factors. Older people tend to have low-level inflammation in the body which interferes with the muscles' ability to increase strength and mass. The anti-inflammatory qualities found in fish oil may reduce this inflammation and therefore inhibit this interference", lead researcher Dr Stuart Gray said.


Source: Medindia