Written by Jessica Patella, ND. Study of 45 healthy women showed that a combination of fish oil supplementation and strength training significantly strengthened the immune system compared to strength training or fish oil supplementation alone.

Aging is associated with an increased risk of infection, degenerative disease, autoimmune disease and malignant disease, due to decreased immune system functioning (1, 2). Research suggests that strength training and fish oil supplementation may slow the aging process by supporting the immune system function, but results from studies are varied. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition studied multiple immune system markers and found fish oil supplementation enhanced immune system function, but strength training alone did not have an effect (1).

There are two major aspects of the immune system: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. The innate immune system is the first line of defense. The macrophages and neutrophils of the innate immune system react immediately to an invasion and try to destroy foreign materials, like bacteria. The lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system adapt over time to protect against specific bacteria and viruses.

The recent research study looked at various markers of both the innate immune system (phagocytosis, lysosomal volume, superoxide anion, peroxide of hydrogen) and the adaptive immune system (CD4, CD8, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10) to determine the effects of fish oil and strength training on the immune system as a whole (1).

The research included 45 healthy  women (64 +/1.4 years) who were divided randomly into three study groups:

  • Strength training only (n=15, 90 days at 3 times per week),
  • Fish oil supplementation only (n=15, 90 days), or
  • Both fish oil and strength training (n=15, fish oil 60 days, then 90 days both fish oil & strength training at 3 times per week) (1).

The fish oil capsule contained 180g EPA and 120g DHA. The participants in the fish oil groups took one capsule with each of their 3 meals per day (1).

The results were as follows:

Strength Training OnlyFish Oil OnlyFish Oil Plus Strength Training
Innate Immune System Markers
No Change48% increase in Phagocytosis
100% increase in Lysosomal vol.
32% increase in Superoxide anion
70% increase in H2O2
50% increase in Phagocytosis
95% increase in Lysosomal vol.
43% increase in Superoxide anion
85% increase in H2O2
Adaptive Immune System MarkersNo ChangeSignificantly increased the population of CD4, CD8, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 (P>0.05)Significantly increased the population of CD4, CD8, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 (P>0.05)

These results indicate that fish oil supplementation increases the functioning of cells in the innate and adaptive immune systems (1). This change could possibly be because fish oil improves the composition of the cell membrane, making the cells function more optimally (1, 3).

There was no change in the strength training only group. There was also no statistical difference between the fish oil only and the fish oil plus strength training group, indicating that strength training did not have an effect on the immune system cell markers (1).

In conclusion, supplementing with fish oil was shown to improve the immune system function, which may also mitigate the negative effects of aging (1). This was a small population study and the results should be verified with a larger study population.

Source: Rodacki, Cintia de Lourdes Nahhas, et al. “Influence of fish oil supplementation and strength training on some functional aspects of immune cells in healthy elderly women.” British Journal of Nutrition 114.01 (2015): 43-52.

© The Authors 2015 British Journal of Nutrition

Posted July 6, 2015.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health.  She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians.  Visit her website at  www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

  1. Rodacki CLN, et al. Influence of fish oil supplementation and strength training on some functional aspects of immune cells in healthy elderly women. 2015 British Journal of Nutrition. DOI:10.1017/S0007114515001555
  2. Shaw AC, et al. Aging of the innate immune system. 2010. Curr Opin Immunol 22, 507–513.
  3. Bonatto SJ, et al. Fish oil supplementation improves neutrophil function during cancer chemotherapy. 2012. Lipids 47, 383–389.