N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation has been recognized to affect the peripheral oxygen delivery system with increasing blood rheology. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation could improve aerobic capacity in young women.
　Female college students and teachers were divided into an aqua aerobic training group, a land aerobic training group, and a non aerobic training group. Half of the subjects of each group were given an intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, while the other half of each group were not.
　The level of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in erythrocyte membrane significantly increased in the subjects who were given n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in the aqua aerobic training group, as compared with the subjects who did neither aqua aerobics, nor land aerobics, but were only given an intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid. As far as the level of maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) was concerned, this was seen to increase far more significantly in the subjects who were given n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in the aqua aerobic training group than in the subjects in any other of the groups.
　These results suggest that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation might have a beneficial effect in improving aerobic capacity.

DESCENTE SPORTS SCIENCE Vol.29/THE DESCENTE AND ISHIMOTO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR THE PROMOTION SPORTS SCIENCE