Linoleic acid

Linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6) is the most abundant omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid in the human diet and the metabolic precursor to arachidonic acid via delta-6-desaturase and elongase enzymes. In salivary lipidomics, linoleic acid reflects dietary omega-6 fatty acid status and the substrate availability for downstream pro-inflammatory eicosanoid synthesis; an imbalanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio is associated with amplified inflammatory responses to exercise and poor recovery. Calder (2017) established LA as a primary determinant of tissue eicosanoid profiles in athletes.