FRIDAY, Nov.14, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Three weeks of fish oil capsules markedly reduced the severity of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in elite athletes, claims a study in the new issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
People with EIB experience temporary airway narrowing either during or after exercise. This results in a reduction in post-exercise lung function.
The study included 10 athletes with EIB and 10 without EIB (10 triathletes, five cross-country runners, and five track runners). They received either fish oil capsules containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or placebo capsules filled with olive oil daily for three weeks.
When lung function tests were done 15 minutes after exercise, the athletes taking the fish oil capsules showed a 3 percent decrease in lung function compared with a 14.5 percent decrease for those on the placebo.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.
