How Omega-3 Status Relates to Longevity and Muscle Preservation
The BDNF Protocol Guide
An essential checklist for cognitive longevity — filled with specific exercise, heat stress, and omega-3 protocols for boosting BDNF. Enter your email, and we'll deliver it straight to your inbox.
You'll also receive updates from Rhonda & FoundMyFitness
In this clip from Dr. Rhonda Patrick's appearance on Keep Hammering Collective, she explains how the Omega-3 Index measures EPA and DHA in red blood cells as a longer-term marker of omega-3 status. In the Framingham Offspring cohort, a higher Omega-3 Index was associated with lower all-cause mortality. Statistical estimates translated the difference between low and high status to roughly five years of life expectancy. [1]
Omega-3 status responds to dose, baseline level, and supplement form. A pooled analysis of 14 trials and 1,422 participants found that an average dose near 2 grams per day increased the mean Omega-3 Index from 4.9% to 8.1%. Individual responses varied, which makes a blood test more informative than assuming one dose produces the same level in everyone. [2]
Dr. Patrick also discusses muscle preservation during inactivity. In a controlled study of 20 young women, 5 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids reduced thigh-muscle loss during two weeks of leg immobilization compared with placebo. A separate study in older adults found greater amino-acid and insulin-stimulated muscle protein synthesis after omega-3 supplementation. These findings make omega-3 status especially relevant during injury, surgery, or other periods when regular training is not possible. [3] [4]
Higher-dose omega-3 trials have also raised an unresolved atrial-fibrillation or arrhythmia signal in some cardiovascular-risk populations. A randomized-trial meta-analysis found a higher atrial-fibrillation risk with marine omega-3 supplementation, with a stronger signal at doses above 1 gram per day; the included populations generally had cardiovascular disease or elevated cardiovascular risk. The mechanism, susceptible subgroup, and balance with lower triglycerides or stroke-related outcomes are not fully settled. Dr. Patrick therefore treats the Omega-3 Index, dietary fish intake, clinical indication, medications, and personal rhythm history as reasons to individualize dose rather than automatically copy her experimental intake. [5]
This clip is excerpted, with permission, from Dr. Rhonda Patrick's appearance on Keep Hammering Collective. Thank you to Keep Hammering Collective for allowing us to share it.
- ^ 10.1093/ajcn/nqab195
- ^ Walker RE; Jackson KH; Tintle NL; Shearer GC; Bernasconi A; Masson S, et al. (2019). Predicting the effects of supplemental EPA and DHA on the omega-3 index. Am J Clin Nutr 110, 4.
- ^ 30629458
- ^ Smith, Gordon I.; Atherton, Philip; Reeds, Dominic N; Mohammed, B Selma; Rankin, Debbie; Rennie, Michael J, et al. (2010). Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Increases The Rate Of Muscle Protein Synthesis In Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 93, 2.
- ^ Gencer B; Djousse L; Al-Ramady OT; Cook NR; Manson JE; Albert CM (2021). Effect of Long-Term Marine ɷ-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation on the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Randomized Controlled Trials of Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Circulation 144, 25.
Cameron Hanes: I wonder, how about grizzly meat? Do you think that's good for you? You had grizzly meat.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: I did. It was definitely tasty. I mean, so that kind of brings us to the omega-3 world because I mean, I would be interested to see—
Cameron Hanes: There's a big study that you just did, right? Or know about?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Well, yeah, I've— so there's lots of omega-3 research going on. I'm now an research associate at the Fatty Acid Research Institute, which is— It's a nonprofit, but they do a lot of fatty acid research, mostly omega-3.
Cameron Hanes: Okay.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: So, yeah, I'm involved in a couple of studies there, but the founder of that, Dr. Bill Harris, he's amazing. I've had him on the podcast. He's really— he's been doing omega— I mean, he was like one of the pioneers in this research field.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: And he's developed something called the Omega-3 Index Test, which is a more accurate long-term marker of omega-3. So you measure omega-3 in red blood cells, which stay around for about 121 days. So it's like a long-term marker versus measuring it in your plasma phospholipids, which is like, what did you have for dinner a couple of days ago? Was there fish in it?
Cameron Hanes: Okay.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: So it's one of those things where it's like a little more reliable. Again, back to the tools that we're using to measure things, all that stuff matters, right? So the Omega-3 Index, he's been— I mean, he's just published one phenomenal study after another using the Omega-3 Index and a large, large sample size.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: cohorts of people and has found that a higher Omega-3 Index— so this would be like 8%, which is not what's in the US. So the average Omega-3 Index in the US is like less than 5%. 5% of, you know, the fatty acids being omega-3.
Cameron Hanes: Is this the same as just fish oil? Like, you remember back in the day—
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Yes, so omega-3, yes. So eating fish or eating Or supplementing with fish oil, which is— you can get a lot of omega-3s from doing that.
Cameron Hanes: Right.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Versus the— both are good because also there's other nutrients in fish as well and there's protein. But yes, it is. So we can get to that, which is like, how do you go from a 4% Omega-3 Index to an 8%? Well, those studies have been done and it takes about on average 2 grams of omega-3 a day supplementation to go from 4% to 8%.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Now, that's 2 grams less than what's being prescribed by doctors. Physicians prescribe pharmaceutical omega-3. It's called either Vascepa or Lovaza, and they prescribe it for high triglycerides. So my mom takes it.
Cameron Hanes: Like high blood pressure?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: I don't know if it's prescribed for high blood pressure, but it's definitely for high triglycerides.
Cameron Hanes: And what's that? In layman's terms. Like triglycerides?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Yeah. So that's when you're— that's like, you know, it's a glycerol backbone with 3 fatty acids. So that's how we store fat. And when that's like circulating in your body, it's bad. It's a cardiovascular disease risk factor.
Cameron Hanes: Oh, I see, okay. Like blood pressure is, by the way.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: We should talk about that, I have a story.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: But anyways, the thing that's amazing with the Omega-3 Index is that people that have the 8%, Omega-3 Index have a 5-year increased life expectancy compared to people that have 4%.
Cameron Hanes: Wow, 5 years. Think about 5 years of being around your loved ones, doing amazing things, enjoying life, 5 years.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: And there are studies showing that you're much less likely to get Alzheimer's disease if you have a high Omega-3 Index. So, the quality of life is better as well. And I was telling you this yesterday and I like talking about it because it blows my mind every time. The smoke— so they took this cohort of people and there were smokers in there. There were smokers and there's nonsmokers.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: And they looked at their Omega-3 Index and they found that the smokers that had a high Omega-3 Index of 8%, so these are smokers that are like, I need the fish oil, I got to do something, I'm smoking. They had the same life expectancy as the nonsmokers with the low Omega-3 Index.
Cameron Hanes: That is insane. You could be somebody who's running every day but not getting enough fish oil than somebody who's— smoking a pack of Marlboros and taking fish oil and you're going to live the same amount roughly?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: I mean, there's probably other things at play as well, but I think the omega-3s are so important. I think that they are hugely important for the brain, for inflammation, and then for muscle. And this was like a big thing too because it's a really sort of growing field.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: There's a few people doing this research. One of them is Dr. Chris McGlory. I think I told you about him. And he's kind of a junior researcher. So, he's kind of just started his lab. He trained with Stu Phillips. I had him on the podcast like a month ago or so. And he was blowing my mind with some of his data. Now, look, there's got to be more larger studies done. This stuff has to be replicated. Other people have replicated his work as well, but like, you know, you always need more evidence. With that caveat, omega-3s are protecting against disuse atrophy.
Cameron Hanes: Really?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: So, you know, I mean, he's now done a few studies, him and others, where high-dose omega-3, so that we're talking 4 to 5 grams a day.
Cameron Hanes: Like what's a pill when you get a supplement and you take a pill? How much is that?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: It depends on the supplement. So a good one, you're gonna get like 500 milligrams of, you know, let's say 350 of it's DHA and then 150 of it's, you know, EPA, which are the 2 marine forms. ALA is the plant form really.
Cameron Hanes: Not— Doesn't do as much.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: No, we're talking about the marine forms. So I like, there's a really good fish oil brand called, it's Metagenics and they make something called OmegaGenics and it's a liquid. And you do like 1 teaspoon of that and that already gets you like above 2 grams. So doing like 2 teaspoons, like 1 in the morning, 1 in the evening, I mean, then you're getting—
Cameron Hanes: Is that that 8% you're talking about or is that above that even?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Oh, if you're doing more like 4 grams, that would be above that.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: But yeah, 2 grams would get you— so I personally do take experimentally high doses of omega-3, but not so much higher than, again, people are being prescribed 4 grams.
Cameron Hanes: Be careful because with me, I'm like, if a little is good, a lot is better on everything. So be careful when you say—
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Well, that's the one thing—
Cameron Hanes: I'll take that whole bottle at one time.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Yeah, that's the one thing though that I like— I can't find evidence that too much omega-3 is really— now, I guess some people, it might affect arrhythmia, but it decreases stroke risk. So in people with cardiovascular risk factors, there's like some little sort of growing evidence.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: We don't quite understand it, more needs to be done that they're getting— some people do get arrhythmia, but again, the stroke risk is lowered from omega-3 and that's like— So that's the whole problem with arrhythmia is it increases stroke risk. So you're kind of like, well, you know, it's one of those things we don't understand, but it should be investigated more.
Cameron Hanes: Yeah, I got that point. Researchers don't understand. I mean, it's not that I don't understand, it's that science hasn't figured it out yet.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: I guess that's what I should say. So with the omega-3 and the disuse atrophy, it's really interesting because you were asking about Like, you know, you're talking about like increasing the amino acids in the muscle, like transport or something.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: And the omega-3s are sensitizing muscle to amino acids. In other words, they're taking amino acids and making a smaller protein dose seem bigger to muscles, which—
Cameron Hanes: Does it seem like this could be I mean, it seems so powerful. Is this like the one— if you're gonna do one thing, should this be it?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Yes. It seems crazy how powerful this is. It is. This is why I joined that research institute, because I believe in it so much. I think it is— I think omega-3 has the pharmacological profile, like it has the pharmacological potential, like to act like drugs, but it's the safety profile of a nutrient. Do you know what I mean? Does that make sense?
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: So it's like, I think, you know, people are so interested in aging drugs and metformin and I'm like, this omega-3 stuff, I don't know, 5-year increased life expectancy, it's preventing muscle disuse atrophy and it's sensitizing. Now, that might not matter so much for your bros you were talking about that are taking in 300 grams. They're getting their protein, but it might matter when they're injured, they're getting a surgery and they can't lift.
Cameron Hanes: Yeah, train.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick: They can't train.
Attend Monthly Q&As with Rhonda
Support our work
The FoundMyFitness Q&A happens monthly for premium members. Attend live or listen in our exclusive member-only podcast The Aliquot.
Omega-3 News
- Blood omega-3 levels were associated with both brain structure and amyloid burden in older adults at elevated Alzheimer's risk.
- Omega-3 plus low-dose aspirin improved outcomes in advanced gum disease over one year, with results similar to antibiotics.
- Omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy altered children's brain metabolism a decade later.
- Fish oil supplementation may reduce post-exercise strength loss by altering lipid signaling.
- Fish oil supplement use is linked to a lower risk of severe fatty liver disease.
