Epax’s marine triglyceride oil may help with healthy aging and sports recovery, study suggests

A pilot study has found Epax’s highly concentrated, marine-derived triglyceride oil can help improve muscle contractile function and post-injury muscle recovery. The pre-clinical in vivo and in vitro research suggests the omega-3 ingredient, Epax 4020TGN, offers potential benefits for healthy aging and sports recovery.

Researchers at the University of South Florida, US, carried out an eight-week dietary intervention on adult and aging rats. They were assigned either a control diet or one containing Epax 4020TGN.

“These findings describe a novel means by which EPA and DHA supplementation can support muscle cell repair after injury and help reduce the muscle decline that occurs as a result of aging,” says Dr. Derek Tobin, clinical research manager at Epax.

“Additionally, in a sports nutrition context, they demonstrate the potential benefits of omega-3 for the improvement of muscle recovery after hard training.”

Inhibiting muscle strength loss

The results showed that inclusion of Epax 4020TGN in the diet inhibited age-related loss of muscle strength. Additionally, the study demonstrated that the ingredient significantly improved muscle strength following injury after a seven-day recovery period.

Furthermore, the investigators looked into the effects of omega-3 on membrane damage using an in vitro analysis of muscle cells in culture.

Cell membrane damage can occur after a fall, reducing mobility and exacerbating physical inactivity, even if there is no fracture. Damage can also occur as a result of compression injuries or with regular training in athletes.

The study showed that incubation of cells with EPAX 4020TGN improved cell membrane repair after damage.

The findings suggest that Epax 4020TGN may aid recovery of muscle function that is impaired as a result of aging or injury. They also indicated cell membrane damage repair may be a common mechanism for muscle healing.

Epax 4020TGN offers a 2:1 ratio of the EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. It is ideal for use in supplements.

Innova Market Insights data reveals that 87% of consumers globally say they are interested in omega-3 as an ingredient. Data indicates that from July 2023 to June 2024, 61% of omega-3 launches globally were in the Supplements category. The immune health claims had the fastest growth in omega-3 functional food innovations, while the rising demand for vegan claims in omega-3 supplements is paving the way for more sustainable solutions.