The researchers, led by Professor Carole Thivierge of Laval University's Institute of Nutraceutics and Functional Foods, said their discovery has significant implications in the fields of animal farming, as well as human health.

In mammals, the ability to use nutrients from food and convert them into muscle proteins decreases with age. Although the exact cause of that phenomenon is unclear, the researchers said insulin resistance of aging muscle cells has been suggested as a possible answer.

Since omega-3 fatty acids are known to improve glucose metabolism, the scientists decided to test whether omega-3's could also influence protein metabolism.

The research also included Andree-Anne Gingras, Phillip James White, Yvan Chouinard, Luce Dombrowski, Alexandre Myre, Karen Bergeron and Andre Marette from the Institute of Nutraceutics and Functional Foods; Pierre Julien from the university's hospital research center; Yvon Couture and Pascal Dubreuil from the University of Montreal, and Teresa Davis from the Baylor College of Medicine.

The study's findings appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of Physiology.