Arachidonic acid

Arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4 n-6) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid that serves as the primary substrate for cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes producing prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes that drive the acute inflammatory response. In athletic contexts, salivary arachidonic acid reflects the omega-6 fatty acid availability for pro-inflammatory eicosanoid synthesis, with elevated levels associated with dietary omega-6 excess and amplified post-exercise inflammatory signalling. Calder (2017) established AA as a central lipid mediator in exercise-induced inflammation.