Omega-3 Fatty Acid Modulation of Brown Adipose Tissue for Arctic Resilience

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how fish oil supplements might affect how the body regulates temperature, especially through brown fat activation, shivering, skin blood flow, and comfort during cold exposure. This study focuses on healthy adults aged 18 to 40 years and uses a controlled environment to see how these supplements influence responses to cold. The trial is randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled to ensure reliable results. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group will take six capsules of fish oil daily, providing 7.8 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (including EPA and DHA), while the other group will take six capsules of olive oil as a placebo. This treatment lasts for 12 weeks. Before supplementation and at 6 and 12 weeks after starting, participants will undergo cold exposure tests in an environmental chamber where the air temperature gradually decreases from 29°C to 4°C over 125 minutes. During the study visits, researchers will measure core body temperature, metabolic heat production, brown fat activation through infrared thermography, shivering using accelerometry and electromyography, skin blood flow, and thermal comfort. Tests like the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test and the Nine Hole Peg Test will assess motor function. Additional measurements include blood pressure, heart and pulse rates, body composition, and dietary recalls over the 12-week period. The study aims to gain detailed insight into how fish oil affects cold tolerance and thermoregulation.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids as Regulators of Brown Adipose Tissue During Cold Exposure