Assessing Omega-3 Intake in Sport: the Brief Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Omega-3 Index in Collegiate Women Soccer Players

Abstract

Context: Omega-3 fatty acids modulate inflammatory processes and are considered beneficial for sport populations, highlighting a need to assess omega-3 intake in a practical manner. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are inexpensive, noninvasive tools aimed at evaluating nutrient intakes such as omega-3 fatty acids. In healthy adults, a tailored, brief FFQ for estimating omega-3 intake was associated with the erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acid level, a biomarker for omega-3 tissue status and indicative of intake. However, the association between a brief omega-3 FFQ and erythrocyte levels, particularly the Omega-3 Index (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], and EPA DHA), has yet to be explored in a sport population. Objective: To examine the association between omega-3 intake using a brief FFQ and the Omega-3 Index in collegiate women soccer players. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University sport team. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty-one National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate women soccer players. Main Outcome Measure(s): The brief omega-3 FFQ assessed dietary omega-3 intake: DHA and EPA. The Omega- Quant blood test measured erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acid (EPA, DHA) and Omega-3 Index (EPA DHA) levels. Results: Brief FFQ intakes of EPA, DHA, and EPA DHA were positively correlated with the erythrocyte EPA (r=0.48, P= .007), DHA (r=0.73, P < .001), and Omega-3 Index (r=0.73, P < .001). Conclusions: In a sample of collegiate women soccer players, the brief omega-3 FFQ was correlated with erythrocyte omega-3 fatty acid levels and may offer health practitioners a practical tool for assessing omega-3 intake in this collegiate sport population.