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TABLE 2 Summary of Potential Mental and Physical Performance Benefits From Omega-3
Performance Indication Dosage Outcome
Concussion 3g/day; DHA may be preferred Enhanced recovery from concussion
Mental Depression/suicidality 1–3g/day; EPA may be preferred Reduced depression and suicidality
Cognitive performance 1–2g/day Improved cognitive ability
Performance metrics 2–3g/day Improved explosive power, one-repetition maximum, range of
motion and heart rate
Physical
Exercise recovery 1–3g/day Reduced exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness
Injury/surgery recovery 2–4g/day Improved recovery and healing
DHA, docosahexaenoic acid; EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid.

Data suggest the dose of omega-3 varies by outcome measure combat fitness test performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2022;19
(i.e., concussion, performance, recovery), but generally falls be- (1):349–365.
tween 1 and 3g/day. Fatty fish are the main food source of EPA 5. Lewis NA, Daniels D, Calder PC, et al. Are there benefits from the
and DHA (Table 1). An Operator would need to consume fatty use of fish oil supplements in athletes? a systematic review. Adv
Nutr. 2020;11(5):1300–1314.
fish on nearly a daily basis to meet these recommendations. 6. Murphy RA, Devarshi PP, Ekimura S, et al. Long-chain omega-3
Alternatively, a high-quality, third-party–certified omega-3 fatty acid serum concentrations across life stages in the USA: an
supplement containing EPA and DHA would be a plausible analysis of NHANES 2011–2012. BMJ Open. 2021;11(5):e043301.
solution. Research also indicates that many participants do 7. Rawson ES, Miles MP, Larson-Meyer DE. Dietary supplements
not comply with taking dietary supplements. Therefore, the for health, adaptation, and recovery in athletes. Int J Sport Nutr
question remains, how do we raise omega-3 levels in a real-life Exerc Metab. 2018;28(2):188–199.
setting? Finding other ways to incorporate omega-3 in a con- 8. Thielecke F, Blannin A. Omega-3 fatty acids for sport perfor-
mance–are they equally beneficial for athletes and amateurs? a
venient, palatable way is necessary. One promising method narrative review. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3712.
includes increasing the omega-3 levels of commonly con- 9. Kris-Etherton PM, Grieger JA, Etherton TD. Dietary reference
sumed foods (e.g., chicken, eggs, cooking oil, salad dressings) intakes for DHA and EPA. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty
by changing the feed of the source animals to include higher Acids. 2009;81(2-3):99–104.
levels of omega-3. 48,49 Overall, because of the demands of the 10. Vannice G, Rasmussen H. Position of the Academy of Nutrition
core tasks of SOF, these Servicemembers would benefit from and Dietetics: dietary fatty acids for healthy adults. J Acad Nutr
Diet. 2014;114(1):136–153.
consuming 1–3g/day of omega-3 for health and performance. 11. United States Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central.
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/. Accessed September 20, 2022.
Disclaimer 12. Eichner AK, Coyles J, Fedoruk M, et al. Essential features of third-
The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the party certification programs for dietary supplements: a consensus
authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of statement. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2019;18(5):178–182.
the Uniformed Services University or the Department of De- 13. Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP)
fense. The contents of this publication are the sole responsi- USU. Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS). https://www.opss.
org. Accessed September 9, 2022.
bility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, 14. International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids. Global Recom-
opinions or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for mendations for EPA and DHA Intake. Revised 19 November 2014.
the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade https://www.issfal.org/assets/globalrecommendationssummary
names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply 19nov2014landscape_-3-.pdf.
endorsement by the US government. 15. Trojian TH, Jackson E. Ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and con-
cussions: treatment or not? Curr Sports Med Rep. 2011;10(4):
180–185.
Author Contributions 16. Oliver JM, Jones MT, Kirk KM, et al. Effect of docosahexaenoic
MR reviewed the literature and drafted and finalized the man- acid on a biomarker of head trauma in American football. Med
uscript. PD provided subject matter expertise and critical feed- Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(6):974–982.
back for the manuscript. Both authors have read and agreed to 17. Mullins VA, Graham S, Cummings D, et al. Effects of fish oil on
the published version of the manuscript. biomarkers of axonal injury and inflammation in American foot-
ball players: a placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial.
Disclosures Nutrients. 2022;14(10):2139.
The authors have no financial relationships or conflicts to 18. Heileson JL, Anzalone AJ, Carbuhn AF, et al. The effect of
omega-3 fatty acids on a biomarker of head trauma in NCAA
disclose. football athletes: a multi-site, non-randomized study. J Int Soc
Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):65.
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