Dietary and Biological Assessment of Omega-3 Status of Collegiate Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Omega-3 fatty acids ({omega}-3 FA) play a number of important functions in health and human performance. While previous research has suggested that low {omega}-3 FA status is prevalent in the general population, little information about athletes {omega}-3 FA status is available. The purpose of this study was to assess the omega-3 fatty acid ({omega}-3 FA) status of collegiate athletes. Dietary {omega}-3 FA intake was evaluated in athletes from nine NCAA Division I institutions (n=1,528, 51% male, 19.9 {+/-} 1.4 years of age, 29 sports represented) via food frequency questionnaire. Omega-3 Index (O3i) was assessed using a dried blood spot sample in a subset of these athletes (n=228). Only 6% (n = 93) of athletes achieved the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics recommendation to consume 500 mg of the {omega}-3 FAs docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per day. Use of {omega}-3 FA supplements was reported by 15% (n = 229) of participants. O3i was 4.33 {+/-} 0.81%, with zero participants meeting the O3i benchmark of 8% associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease. Every additional weekly serving of fish or seafood was associated with an absolute O3i increase of 0.27%. Overall, sub-optimal {omega}-3 FA status was observed among a large, geographically diverse group of male and female collegiate athletes. These findings may inform interventions aimed at improving {omega}-3 FA status of collegiate athletes. Further research on athlete-specific {omega}-3 FA requirements is needed.