Whole Body Energy Metabolism Clinical Trial
Official title:
Effects of 12 Weeks of Omega 3 Supplementation on Resting Metabolic Rate
Fatty acids are the main components of the cell membranes. It has been demonstrated that
diet can alter the characteristics and function of many membranes in the body, which has an
effect on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Over the last two decades there has been a
substantial rise in the research of the effects of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on
bodily function. There are two fatty acids that are of particular interest to researchers,
eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids have unique
unsaturated structures, and their incorporation into biological membranes seems to generate
important and positive physiological effects. The body is unable to synthesize these fatty
acids in high concentrations to elicit significant effects, so they must be obtained through
diet in food or via supplementation.
It has been suggested that EPA and DHA supplementation increases resting metabolic rate
(RMR) in humans, in part by increasing the use of fat as a fuel during rest. There are a
limited number of studies examining the effects of Omega 3 supplementation on RMR. Some have
found an increase in RMR while others have found no change. These studies have some
limitations, as that they have either used a small sample size, a low omega fatty acid dose
and/or short supplementation periods. Due to the variable results, the investigators will
improve the reliability of the RMR measurements by making measures on each subject during
two consecutive days at each time point that it is measured (0, 6 and 12 weeks).
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the effects of 12 weeks of omega 3
supplementation (3 g/d) on healthy young adults vs. the supplementation of a placebo. The
researchers hypothesize that EPA and DHA supplementation will result in an increase in RMR
and fat oxidation in some subjects and not in others. The duplicate RMR measures will
determine the prevalence and magnitude of the omega 3 supplementation.
n/a
Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Subject), Primary Purpose: Basic Science