Table 2.

Overview of interventional data about omega-3 PUFAs supplementation and sarcopenia

References	Year	Sample size, age (years)	Sarcopenia defining parameter(s)	Methodology	Findings
Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation alone
Hutchins-Wiese [80]	2011	126 postmenopausal women, 64–96 years (mean 75 ± 6 years)	Gait speed, hand grip strength, chair rise time	RCT, 1.2 g EPA + DHA vs olive oil placebo daily for 6 months	Increase in walking speed with 0.03–0.05 m/s in omega-3 PUFAs group No significant benefit for hand grip strength of chair rise time
Smith et al. [55]	2011	16 healthy older adults, ≥ 65 years (mean 71 ± 2 years)	Muscle protein synthesis	RCT, 1.86 g EPA + 1.50 g DHA vs corn oil placebo daily for 8 weeks	Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation increased the muscle protein synthesis in response to a hyperaminoacidemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp
Smith et al. [56]	2015	60 healthy older adults, 60–85 years (mean control group 69 ± 7 year; omega-3 group 68 ± 5 years)	Thigh muscle volume, hand grip strength, one-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength	RCT, 1.86 g EPA + 1.50 g DHA vs corn oil placebo daily for 6 months	Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation increases thigh muscle volume and muscle strength
Krzyminska-Siemaszko et al. [83]	2015	735 community-dwelling older adults, ≥ 65 years (mean 74.6 ± 8 years)	Muscle mass, gait speed, TUG	RCT, 660 mg EPA + 440 mg DHA + 200 mg other omega-3 PUFAs + 10 mg vitamin E vs 11 mg vitamin E alone daily for 12 weeks	No significant effect on muscle mass, muscle strength or gait speed
Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation combined with physical exercise
Cornish and Chilibeck [58]	2009	51 subjects, > 60 years (mean 65.4 ± 0.8 years)	Muscle thickness (knee and elbow), muscle strength (1-RM)	RCT, 14 g/day ALA vs corn oil daily combined with resistance training program (3days/week) for 12 weeks	ALA supplementation gave a larger increase in knee flexor muscle thickness
Rodacki et al. [84]	2012	45 women (mean 64 ± 1.0 years)	Muscle strength (knee flexor/extensor, plantar extensors, dorsiflexors), chair rise time, TUG	RCT, fish oil containing 0.4 g EPA + 0.3 g DHA daily as supplementation, 3 arms: strength training (ST) alone for 90 days, ST 90 days + 90 days supplementation vs ST 90 days + 150 days supplementation	All groups increased strength due to the strength training, but the association of a supplement caused greater improvements in muscle strength and functional capacity There was no extra increase due to an additional 60 days of supplementation (90 vs 150 days)
Da Boit et al. [57]	2012	50 subjects, ≥ 65 years (mean men 70.6 ± 4.5 years; women 70.7 ± 3.3 years)	Muscle strength (knee extensor), SPPB, muscle quality (strength per unit muscle area)	RCT, 2.1 g EPA + 0.6 g DHA vs safflower oil placebo daily, combined with resistance training 2 ×/w for 18 weeks	Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation augments increases in muscle function and quality in older women but not in older men after resistance exercise training
Omega-3 PUFAs supplementation combined with protein supplementation and physical exercise
Zhu et al. [86]	2018	113 community-dwelling sarcopenic elderly, ≥ 65 years  (mean control 72.2 ± 6.6  years; exercise 74.5 ± 7.1  years; combined group 74.8 ± 6.9 years)	Gait speed, chair rise time, hand grip strength, muscle strength (leg extensors), muscle mass (lower limb, appendicular skeletal mass)	RCT, 0.29 g omega-3 PUFA + 8.61 g protein + 1.21 g β-hydroxy β-methyl butyrate, 130 IU vitamin D twice daily, 3 arms: exercise alone for 12 weeks; combined exercise and supplement for 12 weeks; control	No significant effect on gait speed was found Chair rise time and muscle strength improved in both interventions groups Nutritional supplementation added benefit in increasing lower limb muscle mass and appendicular skeletal mass after 12 weeks

RCT randomized control trial, 1-RM one-repetition maximum, ST strength training, SPPB Short Physical Performance Battery, TUG timed up and go test