| Title: |
Omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation does not attenuate declines in skeletal muscle mitochondrial area in young, healthy females during immobilization |
| Authors: |
Megan M. Lo; Merryl N. Black; Chris McGlory; Ravninder Bahniwal; Michael Kamal; Joe Quadrilatero; Stuart M. Phillips; Michaela C. Devries |
| Source: |
Physiological Reports, Vol 14, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2026) |
| Publisher Information: |
Wiley |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Collection: |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
| Subject Terms: |
electron microscopy; mitochondria; muscle disuse; omega‐3 fatty acid; skeletal muscle; Physiology; QP1-981 |
| Description: |
Mitochondrial subcellular area influences function. Muscle disuse reduces mitochondrial content; however, its effect on mitochondrial subcellular location is unclear. Omega‐3 fatty acid (n‐3) attenuates declines in muscle mass and mitochondrial function during disuse; however, whether n‐3 supplementation prevents the decline in mitochondrial content has not been examined. We investigated the effects of 2 weeks of leg immobilization followed by 2 weeks of remobilization on skeletal muscle mitochondrial content and subcellular localization with and without n‐3 supplementation. Twenty healthy females supplemented with n‐3 (2.97 g EPA and 2.03 g DHA) or control (isoenergetic sunflower oil) during 2 weeks of unilateral leg immobilization and 2 weeks of remobilization. Vastus lateralis biopsies were taken for electron microscopic analysis of mitochondrial content. Subsarcolemmal (SS) mitochondrial content decreased during immobilization (control: −9%, n‐3: −66%, p = 0.009) and remained lower following recovery (control: −41%, n‐3: −42%, p = 0.005). This effect was driven by the n‐3 group (p < 0.02). Intermyofibrillar (IMF) mitochondrial content did not decline during immobilization, but was lower than baseline following recovery in the central (p=0.01) IMF. The effects of leg immobilization on mitochondrial content differ by location, are not reversed with short‐term recovery, and are influenced by n‐3 supplementation. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70736; https://doaj.org/toc/2051-817X; https://doaj.org/article/b99902945da846e6a2dcd19dcb0a426f |
| DOI: |
10.14814/phy2.70736 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70736; https://doaj.org/article/b99902945da846e6a2dcd19dcb0a426f |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.B0158138 |
| Database: |
BASE |