Julianne Taylor, Registered Nutritionist

22/11/2025

Muscle benefits of omega 3

Most people take omega-3s for heart health… but they also change your muscle tissue.

Not just inflammation.
Not just triglycerides.
Actual muscle biology.

This diagram breaks down what happens to omega-3 fats (EPA + DHA) once they enter your system, and why they influence insulin sensitivity, energy use, fat storage, and even protein synthesis.

1. It starts in the gut.

Omega-3s come in through the diet → absorbed in the small intestine → packaged into chylomicrons and VLDLs.

2. They move through the bloodstream.

From here, EPA and DHA end up in HDL particles, plasma, and eventually… the muscle membranes themselves.

3. Once omega-3s enter muscle, everything changes.

They modify the fatty acids sitting in the surface of muscle cells, leading to:

• Better insulin sensitivity
• Better glycogen use
• Less fat stored inside muscle
• Higher metabolic flexibility

This is one of the reasons omega-3 intake improves glucose control, even without changing calories.

4. Omega-3s activate a whole network of enzymes (phospholipases).

These enzymes shift the “internal messaging” inside muscle cells:

Lipase D → boosts long-chain omega-3 phospholipids

Lipase C → influences IP3/DAG signaling tied to protein synthesis

Lipase A2 → drives eicosanoid pathways tied to new sarcomere formation

In simple terms:
Omega-3s don’t just sit in the membrane — they signal the muscle to build, repair, and use energy differently.

5. The end result?

Muscle that’s richer in long-chain omega-3s shows:

• Better insulin response
• Less intramuscular fat
• Less energy wasted on fat synthesis
• Potential improvements in protein synthesis
• Better metabolic function overall

This is why omega-3s keep showing up in studies on athletic recovery, lean mass retention, aging, and metabolic health.

Your muscles aren’t just passive tissue — they’re listening to everything you eat.

And omega-3s speak their language.

doi:10.1051/ocl/2024011

19/07/2025

This is Deb. At 53 she embarked on a higher protein diet and a weight resistant exercise programme with coach Jason Seib. Over months her muscle built and her body fat decreased. She is post menopause.

The second photo has been widely circulated. It shows what the shift in body composition looks like between an older person who maintained muscle through exercise and one who did not. from this study “Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in Masters Athletes”

You can read the blog post here. It has a number of cool pics illustrating others whose body composition changed but weight stayed the same

https://paleozonenutrition.com/2012/04/25/what-does-your-body-look-like-on-the-inside-more-reasons-to-lift-weights/



These photos are from a blog post I wrote back in 2012. I had started training at a Crossfit gym around 2009, when I was a nutrition coach. I became really interested in the role of muscle in health, both its links to longevity, bone strength and in menopause (I was perimenopausal at the time)

I was already a convert to a diet with optimal protein, combined with low glycemic while food carbs and healthy fats. That I became hooked on when I discovered the Zone Diet.