Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following eccentric exercise is associated with increased inflammation which can be debilitating. Incorporation of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid into membrane phospholipids provides anti-inflammatory, proresolving, and analgesic effects. This systematic review aims to examine both the quality of studies and the evidence for LC n-3 PUFA in the attenuation of DOMS and inflammation following eccentric exercise, both which of course are empirically linked. The Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched to identify studies that supplemented fish oil for a duration of ≥7 days, which included DOMS outcomes following an eccentric exercise protocol. Fifteen (n = 15) studies met inclusion criteria. Eccentric exercise protocols varied from single to multijoint activities. Risk of bias, assessed using either the Cochrane Collaboration tool or the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool, was judged as “unclear” or “medium,” respectively, for the majority of outcomes. Furthermore, a custom 5-point quality assessment scale demonstrated that only one (n = 1) study satisfied current recommendations for investigating LC n-3 PUFA. In combination, this highlights widespread inappropriate design protocols among studies investigating the role of LC n-3 PUFA in eccentric exercise. Notwithstanding these issues, LC n-3 PUFA supplementation appears to have favorable effects on eccentric exercise-induced DOMS and inflammatory markers. However, the optimal LC n-3 PUFA supplemental dose, duration, and fatty acid composition will only become clear when study design issues are rectified and underpinned by appropriate hypotheses.

离心运动后的延迟性肌肉酸痛 (DOMS) 与炎症增加有关，这可能会使人衰弱。在膜磷脂中加入长链 omega-3 多不饱和脂肪酸 (LC n-3 PUFA)、二十碳五烯酸和二十二碳六烯酸可提供抗炎、促缓解和镇痛作用。本系统评价旨在检查研究质量和 LC n-3 PUFA 在离心运动后减少 DOMS 和炎症方面的证据，这两者当然是经验相关的。对 Scopus、Embase 和 Web of Science 电子数据库进行了搜索，以确定补充鱼油 ≥ 7 天的研究，其中包括离心运动方案后的 DOMS 结果。十五（n = 15) 研究符合纳入标准。偏心锻炼方案从单关节活动到多关节活动不等。偏倚风险使用 Cochrane 协作工具或干预措施非随机研究中的偏倚风险工具评估，对于大多数结果分别被判断为“不清楚”或“中等”。此外，定制的 5 点质量评估量表表明，只有一个（n = 1) 研究满足了目前对调查 LC n-3 PUFA 的建议。结合起来，这突出了在调查 LC n-3 PUFA 在离心运动中的作用的研究中普遍存在的不适当的设计方案。尽管存在这些问题，但补充 LC n-3 PUFA 似乎对离心运动诱发的 DOMS 和炎症标志物具有良好的效果。然而，只有当研究设计问题得到纠正并得到适当假设的支持时，最佳 LC n-3 PUFA 补充剂量、持续时间和脂肪酸组成才会变得清晰。