title: Thermodynamic analysis questions claims of improved cardiac efficiency by dietary fish oil.
abstract: Studies in the literature describe the ability of dietary supplementation by omega-3 fish oil to increase the pumping efficiency of the left ventricle. Here we attempt to reconcile such studies with our own null results. We undertake a quantitative analysis of the improvement that could be expected theoretically, subject to physiological constraints, by posing the following question: By how much could efficiency be expected to increase if inefficiencies could be eliminated? Our approach utilizes thermodynamic analyses to investigate the contributions, both singly and collectively, of the major components of cardiac energetics to total cardiac efficiency. We conclude that it is unlikely that fish oils could achieve the required diminution of inefficiencies without greatly compromising cardiac performance.
authors: Department of Physiology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand ds.loiselle@auckland.ac.nz.
authors: Denis S
authors: DS
authors: Loiselle
authors: Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors: June-Chiew
authors: 0000-0002-6396-7628
authors: JC
authors: Han
authors: Doctor of Medicine Programme, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
authors: Eden
authors: E
authors: Goo
authors: School of Applied and Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University Australia, Churchill, Victoria 3842, Australia.
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Chapman
authors: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia.
authors: Christopher J
authors: 0000-0002-0903-3111
authors: CJ
authors: Barclay
authors: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors: Anthony J R
authors: AJ
authors: Hickey
authors: Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand Department of Engineering Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors: Andrew J
authors: 0000-0002-0452-0308
authors: AJ
authors: Taberner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils