Effects of an omega-3 rich food on markers of inflammation in people with Achilles tendinopathy.

Inflammation is fundamental in maintaining health, and in many healing processes. However, unresolved inflammation has severe health consequences. Unresolved inflammation plays a key role in several chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes and other metabolic-related diseases. Thus, the ability to regulate inflammatory processes is fundamental to maintaining wellbeing. Based on this, the concept of therapeutically targeting systemic inflammation to improve health outcomes is a growing and promising area of research, targeted to improve the wellbeing of people with chronic health disorders. Supplementation with omega-3 has demonstrable effects on lowering biomarkers of inflammation. This trial builds on existing scientific literature demonstrating a role for omega-3 supplementation in improving inflammation. This is a a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial to explore the effects of a novel, omega-3-rich food product on markers of inflammation in people with Achilles tendinopathy. Sixty participants will be recruited from physiotherapy clinics across the Auckland region who are presenting with chronic Achilles tendinopathy. Participants will be randomised into treatment and control groups (30/group), and prior to intervention will have blood samples taken for analysis of circulating inflammatory cytokines to study systemic inflammation, take a self-reported questionnaire of tendinopathy severity and undergo ultrasound with elastography to assess symptoms, structure and function of the Achilles tendon, and take questionnaires related to mood and wellbeing. Participants in each group will then receive a food product, with the treatment group product containing the active omega-3 ingredient derived from algal and NZ Hoki oil, and the placebo group product containing a vegetable-derived oil that contains no omega-3. Participants will consume 9g of the food product a day for 12 weeks, which will equate to ~2.5g omega-3/serve in the treatment group. After 6 weeks, and at the end of the study (12 weeks), all outcome measures will be re-assessed. Overall, this trial has the potential to demonstrate a role for omega-3 rich foods in alleviating systemic inflammation, improving musculoskeletal outcomes and improving wellbeing.