Nutritional supplementation not only helps in improving and maintaining performance in sports and exercise, but also contributes in reducing exercise fatigue and in recovery from exhaustion. Fish oil contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3). It is widely known that omega-3 fatty acids are effective for improving cardiac function, depression, cognitive function, and blood as well as lowering blood pressure. In the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and exercise performance, previous studies have been predicted improved endurance performance, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses, and effectivity against delayed-onset muscle soreness. However, the optimal dose, duration, and timing remain unclear. This review focuses on the effects of omega-3 fatty acid on muscle damage and function as evaluated by human and animal studies and summarizes its effects on muscle and nerve damage, and muscle mass and strength.

Purpose This study investigated the effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids-rich fish oil (EPA + DHA) supplementation on eccentric contraction-induced muscle damage. Methods Twenty-four healthy men were randomly assigned to consume the EPA + DHA supplement (EPA, n = 12) or placebo (PL, n = 12) by the double-blind method. Participants consumed EPA + DHA or placebo supplement for 8 weeks prior to exercise and continued it until 5 days after exercise. The EPA group consumed EPA + DHA-rich fish oil containing 600 mg EPA and 260 mg DHA per day. Subjects performed five sets of six maximal eccentric elbow flexion exercises. Changes in the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, range of motion (ROM), upper arm circumference, muscle soreness as well as serum creatine kinase, myoglobin, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in blood were assessed before, immediately after, and 1, 2, 3, and 5 days after exercise. Results MVC was significantly higher in the EPA group than in the PL group at 2–5 days after exercise (p < 0.05). ROM was also significantly greater in the EPA group than in the PL group at 1–5 days after exercise (p < 0.05). At only 3 days after exercise, muscle soreness of the brachialis was significantly greater in the PL group than in the EPA group (p < 0.05), with a concomitant increase in serum IL-6 levels in the PL group. Conclusion Eight-week EPA + DHA supplementation attenuates strength loss and limited ROM after exercise. The supplementation also attenuates muscle soreness and elevates cytokine level, but the effect is limited.

Background: The integrity of data in a clinical trial is essential, but the current data management process is too complex and highly labor-intensive. As a result, clinical trials are prone to consuming a lot of budget and time, and there is a risk for human-induced error and data falsification. Blockchain technology has the potential to address some of these challenges. Objective: The aim of the study was to validate a system that enables the security of medical data in a clinical trial using blockchain technology. Methods: We have developed a blockchain-based data management system for clinical trials and tested the system through a clinical trial for breast cancer. The project was conducted to demonstrate clinical data management using blockchain technology under the regulatory sandbox enabled by the Japanese Cabinet Office. Results: We verified and validated the data in the clinical trial using the validation protocol and tested its resilience to data tampering. The robustness of the system was also proven by survival with zero downtime for clinical data registration during a Amazon Web Services disruption event in the Tokyo region on August 23, 2019. Conclusions: We show that our system can improve clinical trial data management, enhance trust in the clinical research process, and ease regulator burden. The system will contribute to the sustainability of health care services through the optimization of cost for clinical trials.

Background A strategy for maintaining and/or improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in the growing population of cancer survivors is of major clinical importance, especially in the COVID-19 era. The effect of unsupervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on increasing CRF in breast cancer survivors is unknown. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether the newly developed habit-B programme, which involves home-based smartphone-supported HIIT using body weight exercises, improves CRF in early-stage breast cancer survivors. Methods This single-centre, 12-week, parallel-group, single-blind, randomised controlled trial involved 50 women with stage I–IIa breast cancer, aged 20–59 years, who had completed initial treatment except for hormone therapy. Participants were randomised to either the exercise or control group. The primary outcome was the 12-week change in peak oxygen uptake . Other outcomes included muscle strength, 6 min walk test, resting heart rate, physical activity, fatigue, safety and quality of life. Results The change in and leg strength increased significantly in the exercise group compared with the control group (p<0.01). Changes in other outcomes were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion A home-based HIIT intervention can lead to improve CRF and muscle strength in early-stage breast cancer survivors.

This study investigated the effect of supplementation with fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the M-wave latency of biceps brachii and muscle damage afte...

This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementation of fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the damage of the biceps brachii after eccentric contractions (ECCs) of the elbow flexors, particularly focusing on muscle stiffness. Sixteen men were included in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design study and the participants were randomly assigned to the EPA and DHA supplement group (EPA, n = 8) and placebo group (PL, n = 8). They consumed either EPA 600 mg and DHA 260 mg per day or placebo supplement for 8 weeks prior to exercise. Moreover, they performed six sets of 10 ECCs at 100% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) using a dumbbell. Changes in MVC torque, range of motion (ROM), upper arm circumference, muscle soreness, muscle echo intensity, and muscle stiffness were assessed before exercise; immediately after exercise; and 1, 2, and 5 days after exercise. MVC torque and ROM were significantly higher in the EPA group than in the PL group after ECCs (p < 0.05). Muscle soreness, upper arm circumference, and muscle echo intensity were significantly higher in the PL group than in the EPA group after ECCs (p < 0.05). In addition, muscle stiffness at 150° was significantly higher in the PL group than in the EPA group immediately after ECCs (p < 0.05). The present study showed that EPA and DHA supplementation has a positive role in inhibiting muscle stiffness after ECCs. This trial (UMIN000028165) was registered on 10th/July/2017.