Effects of Supplementation with Omega-3 and Omega-6 Poly-unsaturated Fatty Acids and Antioxidant Vitamins, Combined with High-Intensity Functional Training, on Exercise Performance and Body Composition in Healthy Young Adults

The experimental supplement group (SG, n = 10, 29 ± 6 years, 5 females) trained together with the Placebo Group, three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and followed the same High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) protocol for 8 weeks. On the week preceding (baseline) and the week following the training period (post-intervention), all participants underwent physical perfor-mance and body composition assessment, including anthropometry, body composition, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), upper body strength, flexibility, and muscular en-durance. All tests took place in the morning, except for the bench press maximum strength at 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM) and muscular endurance tests, which took place in the afternoon. The fitness tests took place in the Human Performance Laboratory of the University of Nicosia, in Cyprus, and at the university's gym (UFIT). During each workday of the first and last weeks of the training period, fasting blood samples were drawn to determine CK and CRP concentrations. The fatty acid composition of Red Blood Cell membranes (RBC) was assessed for compliance to the supplemented formulation. All participants were asked to refrain from strenuous exercise on the day before the tests. Detailed food and fluid intake records were kept for 24 h before their first visit to the lab, and the diet was replicated before the post-training tests. Post-training tests took place at least 72 h following the last training session to allow adequate re-covery. During the study, the SG consumed a specific supplement formula (20 ml per day for 8 weeks) , rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (n-3 PUFAs), and linoleic acid (LA) + linolenic acid (GLA) (n-6 PUFAs) with vitamin E and gamma-tocopherol as antioxidant vitamins (Neuroaspis PLP10, Palupa Medical, Nicosia, Cyprus), The study was approved by the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee, and all participants signed an informed consent form following a written and verbal explanation of the nature, aim, and methods of the study. Attendance to every HIFT session was kept and monitored by the person-member of the team administering the HIFT session,