A small study published in Chest (2006; 129(1): 39–49) examined the effects of essential fatty acid supplementation on exercise-induced asthma. The study involved 16 patients with exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), who were randomly assigned to receive either fish oil capsules or a placebo for three weeks.
During the intervention period, subjects discontinued their usual asthma medications. After a two-week washout period, the groups crossed over, with the original placebo group receiving fish oil and the original supplement group receiving the placebo.
While taking fish oil, subjects reduced bronchodilator use by 31% and demonstrated significant improvement in pulmonary function, with measurements falling below the diagnostic threshold for EIB (approximately 64% improvement). In addition, inflammatory mediators associated with asthma—including leukotrienes, prostaglandin D₂, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α—were significantly reduced.
These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce airway inflammation and improve exercise tolerance in patients with exercise-induced asthma.
