Abstract
N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation has been recognized to affect the peripheral oxygen delivery system with increasing blood rheology. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation, using purified perilla oil rich in α-linoleic acid, improves aerobic capacity in young women. Eighteen young, sedentary female college students were divided into an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplemented control group (PUFA-C, n=10) and an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplemented trained group (PUFA-T, n=8). All subjects took 20g of perilla oil (11g of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid) in addition to the usual diet throughout the experimental period of 4 weeks. PUFA-T subjects exercised for 30 min on a bicycle ergometer (intensity, 60% of VO2max) 4 times a week for 4 weeks. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and oxygen uptake at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold level (VT) significantly (p<0.05) increased after treatment in both groups. However, the endurance time in the exhaustive exercise test significantly (p<0.05) increased in the PUFA-T group only. Increasing rates of VO2max and VT with treatment for the PUFA-C group were lower than those for the PUFA-T group (VO2max, 12.6% vs 14.4%, VT, 9.7% vs 16.9%). After treatment, these values returned to baseline levels within 2 months of the recovery period without n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in both groups. Only for the PUFA-T group, VO2max and VT at 2 months after the treatment period were significantly (p<0.05) higher compared with baseline levels. These results suggest that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation might have a beneficial effect on improving aerobic capacity with increasing peripheral oxygen delivery. However, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation was less effective than aerobic training.
