The Effects of Fish Oil Supplementation on the Brain Health of Collegiate Football Athletes

April 24, 2025 updated by: Floyd Chilton, University of Arizona

Study of Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Supplementation on Biomarkers of Sub-Concussion Injuries in American Football

Determine if the daily docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplement will reduce serum levels of biomarkers of sub-concussion injuries over a course of American football season among collegiate football athletes.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

American football is one of the most popular sports in the U.S. Yet this sport is associated with increased risk of concussion (also known as mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI) and sub-concussive injury from repeated head impacts (RHI) due to the aggressive and high-speed nature of the game. Current protective equipment used by players are not sufficient to reduce concussion incidence and severity, nor are there any therapeutics available to prevent concussion. This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial to determine if an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) fish oil supplement containing 3.0 grams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) can reduce blood biomarkers of sub-concussion injuries compared to placebo (high-oleic safflower oil) over a course of the American football season among collegiate football athletes.

The dosage of DHA/EPA used in this study is generally safe, and procedures involved, monthly blood draws, surveys, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), pose minimal risks to participants. While this study provides no direct benefit to participants, successful outcomes of this study can benefit the society by shedding light on development of potential preventative therapeutics for sports-induced mTBI and brain injury from RHI. The risk-benefit profile is appropriate for conducting this study. Based on preclinical studies and previous clinical study results, the investigators expect that in comparison to placebo treatment, DHA and EPA treatment throughout the course of one American football season can maintain lower levels of sub-concussion associated biomarkers, inflammatory cytokines, and cardiovascular risk markers. The investigators also expect participants treated with DHA and EPA to have lower brain MRI imaging markers of sub concussion injury.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

38

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Arizona
      • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85721
        • University of Arizona

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years to 21 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1) University of Arizona National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I American football athletes cleared to participate in university athletics as determined by the team physician.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Chronic daily anti-inflammatory drugs (>20 d).
  2. Medications for blood lipids.
  3. Active fish oil or omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.
  4. Consumption of more than two servings of fish per week.
  5. Injured and unable to participate in regularly schedule conditioning or competitions.
  6. Acute concussion experienced within 30 days of starting the study.
  7. Fish allergies.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Fish Oil Capsules
Participants in the treatment arm will receive 3 grams of DHA and EPA (2:1 weight ratio) 5 times a week for 25-weeks during regular football season.
Dietary supplement: Fish Oil (DPA+EPA 2:1 ratio) Capsules
The Treatment Arm intervention consists of providing participants with 3 grams of DHA and EPA (2:1 weight ratio) in capsular form. In order to meet the required 3 grams of DHA and EPA, participants were given 6 capsules to be taken with meals (preferably breakfast, although capsules were provided at lunch when they couldn't be provided at breakfast). Capsules were given 5 times a week during the regular football season.
Placebo Comparator: Safflower Oil Capsules
Participants in the treatment arm will receive 3 grams of high-oleic safflower oil (in a 1:1 allocation ratio) 5 times a week for 25-weeks during regular football season.
Dietary supplement: High Oleic Safflower Oil Capsules
The Placebo Arm intervention consists of providing participants with 3 grams of high-oleic safflower oil in a 1:1 allocation ratio in capsular form. In order to maintain the "study masking", participants in the Placebo Arm were given 6 capsules (the same as the Treatment Arm) to be taken with meals (preferably breakfast, although capsules were provided at lunch when they couldn't be provided at breakfast). Capsules were given 5 times a week during the regular football season.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in Brain Biomarkers Due to Sub-concussion Injury - Nf-L
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 17, Week 26
This primary outcome covers the change in the plasma brain biomarker Neurofilament Light Chains (Nf-L) due to sub-concussion injury from baseline to predetermined measurement time points. Nf-L (neuron specific intermediate proteins) are released upon injury to neurons and axons. Measured in picograms per milliliter (pg/ml)
Baseline, Week 17, Week 26
Changes in Sub-concussion Injury Related Inflammation Biomarkers - TNF-α
Time Frame: Baseline ans Week 26
This primary outcome covers the change in the plasma inflammation biomarker Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), a cytokine and mediator of inflammation, due to sub-concussion injury from baseline to predetermined measurement time points. TNF-α is measured in picograms per milliliter (pg/ml).
Baseline ans Week 26
Changes in Sub-concussion Injury Related Inflammation Biomarkers - IL-6
Time Frame: Baseline; Week 17; Week 26
This primary outcome covers the change in the plasma inflammation biomarker Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine and mediator of inflammation, due to sub-concussion injury from baseline to predetermined measurement time points. IL-6 is measured in picograms per milliliter (pg/ml)
Baseline; Week 17; Week 26

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Arizona

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Floyd Chilton, Ph.D., University of Arizona
  • Principal Investigator: Roberta Brinton, Ph.D., University of Arizona

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 28, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 28, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

January 28, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 3, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 11, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

March 12, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 24, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB1904553365

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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