Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in Muscle Damage and Function

Effects of long-term microalgae supplementation on muscle microstructure, meat quality and fatty acid composition in growing pigs

We investigated the effects of long-term microalgae supplementation (7% in a piglet diet and 5% in a fattening diet) on muscle microstructure and meat quality, including fatty acid composition in female Landrace pigs (n = 31). The major effects were muscle-specific increases in n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concentrations, resulting in increased accumulation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Carcass traits and meat quality of longissimus thoracis muscle were not affected by the microalgae diet with the exception of reduced drip loss (p = 0.01) and increased protein proportion (p = 0.04). In addition, the microalgae diet resulted in a shift to a more oxidative myofibre type composition in semitendinosus but not longissimus thoracis muscle. In conclusion, microalgae supplementation offers a unique opportunity to enhance essential n-3 PUFA contents in pig meat. The results support small but coordinated changes in skeletal muscle phenotypic appearance and functionality.

Association of Handgrip Strength with Dietary Intake in the Korean Population: Findings Based on the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII-1), 2016

To evaluate associations between handgrip strength (HGS) and dietary nutrients, this study of a representative Korean population of 1553 adults aged ≥60 years (706 men and 847 women) analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016). HGS was measured in both hands three times using a digital grip strength dynamometer. Dietary intake data were collected by the 24-h recall method through computer-assisted personal interviews. The study population had a mean age of 70.1 years, body mass index (BMI) of 24.2 kg/m², and HGS of 35.7 kg in men, 21.2 kg in women. Total energy (r = 0.411), protein (r = 0.217), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (r = 0.269), fiber (r = 0.272), and vitamin C (r = 0.098) were positively correlated with HGS. In multivariable regression analysis, PUFA (β = 0.083) and vitamin C (β = 0.003) were positively associated with HGS among women. Fiber (β = 0.071) and vitamin C (β = 0.006) showed a positive association with HGS among men. Community-dwelling older men and women with higher levels of PUFA, fiber, and vitamin C in their diet were more likely to have greater HGS even after adjusting for age, total calorie intake, BMI, chronic diseases and health-related habits.

The combined impacts of docosahexaenoic acid, endurance physical exercise, and prolonged fasting on brain function

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) is highly enriched in the membrane phospholipids of the brain, neuronal tissue and retina. Accumulating evidence suggests that brain DHA is necessary for maintaining for optimal function of the cognition and the visual system, particularly the photoreceptor, the retina. Loss of brain DHA, especially during crucial brain development period, was highly associated with visual and cognitive defects. Here it would be addressed the effect of DHA on brain functions as assessed by spatial task performance using a first generation model which is similar to human nutrition case. And also, it was well known that prolonged fasting and energy restriction with endurance physical exercise stimulate cognitive function and brain function, which is caused by upregulated ketone body and upregulated brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) responses. In the DHA intake or prolonged physical exercise, upregulated BDNF can activate mitochondrial biogenesis to elevate neuronal bioenergetics and enable synaptic formation. And it also can activate DNA repair in neurons. Further study on the mechanisms about the combine effects of supplementation of DHA and energy restriction on brain function is urgently needed in this area.