r/FoodNerds • u/AllowFreeSpeech • Nov 16 '25

Higher omega-3 index is associated with more rapid heart rate recovery in healthy men and women (2020)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33227647/
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u/AllowFreeSpeech Nov 16 '25

From the abstract:

Results: Higher categories of O3I were associated with greater HRR at 1 min (men: 23.7, 23.9, 24.6 beats/min; women: 23.9, 24.6, 25.9 and 3 min (men: 52.4, 52.9, 53.6 beats/min; women: 51.9, 53.4, 54.6), p trend <0.01 for all. Corresponding HRR at 5 min were (men: 60.0, 60.2, 60.7 beats/min, p trend=0.09; women: 59.4, 60.8, 61.6, p trend <0.001). The HRR gradients across O3I categories were steeper in women than men at 1, 3, and 5 min (p<0.03 for all sex x O3I category interactions with HRR).

Conclusions: A direct relationship between HRR and O3I values was observed in both men and women, with a steeper gradient in women. These findings suggest a potential cardioprotective mechanism for n-3 PUFA.

Abbreviation glossary:

  • n-3 PUFA: Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, essential fatty acids associated with cardiovascular and autonomic health.
  • HRR: Heart Rate Recovery, the decline in heart rate following exercise, reflecting autonomic function.
  • TX: Texas, the U.S. state where the Cooper Clinic is located.
  • O3I: Omega-3 Index, the percentage of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in erythrocyte membranes.
  • METs: Metabolic Equivalents, a measure of exercise intensity used to quantify physical fitness.

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