Marine oil supplements beneficial for post-exercise muscle damage

A new study has revealed that there may be a greater connection between mussels and muscles than previously thought.

The Indiana University study found that taking a pre-exercise supplement of the omega-3 PCSO-524, a marine oil lipid derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, has significant positive effects on post-exercise muscle damage.

The pharmaceutical name of the supplement is Lyprinol, or Omega XL in the United States, and it has previously been used to effectively reduce the effects of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and exercise-induced asthma.

Lead author Timothy Mickleborough said his initial study of this particular marine oil supplement led him to further test its healing properties on other parts of the body.

Mickleborough added that he has worked with Pharmalink before when they approached me to do a study with this particular oil and its effects on exercise-induced asthma and respiratory inflammation and he thought if it can be used as an anti-inflammatory for lungs, perhaps it could reverse muscle inflammation as well.

For people who are looking to start exercising again, or even for those who engage in intense workouts regularly, this discovery can have a variety of positive effects on how their bodies react to muscle damage, Mickleborough said.

It might have positive implications for triathletes if they're doing several different types of exercises, and it could potentially help diminish soreness in multisport, recreational athletes as well, essentially, for anyone who is engaging in unaccustomed exercise, it's a nice product, he said.

The study appears in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.