RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Investigating the Effects of Krill Oil on the Recovery From Muscle Damaging Exercise: a Randomised Controlled Trial

This research wants to find out if taking krill oil supplements helps muscles recover better after exercise that can cause some muscle damage. They are looking for people aged 60 and older who don't exercise intensely very often. If you join, you'll visit the University of Glasgow several times. You'll take either krill oil or a vegetable oil for 8 weeks. During the visits, you'll do some exercises, have blood samples taken, and your muscle strength and body composition will be measured. The study wants to see if krill oil makes a difference in how quickly your muscles feel better and get stronger again after physical activity.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

University of Glasgow

Enrolment target

Start

01 Feb 2025

Estimated completion

01 Aug 2025

Looking at the Effects of Krill Oil Supplementation on Recovery From Muscle-damaging Exercise

What is this study about?

This research study is about understanding how krill oil might affect your muscles, especially after you've done exercise that makes them a bit tired or sore. As we get older, our muscles might not recover as quickly as they used to, and scientists are keen to find ways to support muscle health and recovery. Krill oil is a type of oil that comes from small sea creatures called krill, and it contains healthy fats that some believe could have benefits for the body.

The main goal of this study is to see if taking krill oil supplements regularly can help your muscles bounce back faster after exercise. This is important because good muscle recovery can help you stay active and strong. By understanding if krill oil truly helps, this research could give us new insights into how to support muscle health as people age.

To find this out, the study will compare people who take krill oil with people who take a different oil (a mixed vegetable oil). This way, researchers can clearly see if any changes in muscle recovery are due to the krill oil itself. The study focuses on people aged 60 and over, as this age group often experiences changes in muscle recovery that could potentially be helped by interventions like krill oil.

Key takeaways

Study examines if krill oil helps muscle recovery after exercise in people over 60.
Participation involves 4 visits to the University of Glasgow over 8 weeks.
You'll take either krill oil or a vegetable oil daily for 8 weeks.
Measurements include blood tests, muscle strength, body composition, and exercise performance.
Study helps understand how to support muscle health as we age.

Who may be eligible?

This study is looking for people who are 60 years old or older. You should have a healthy body weight, meaning your Body Mass Index (BMI) should be less than 30. Also, you shouldn't be doing intense resistance exercise for more than one hour a week right now.

There are some health conditions that would mean you can't join the study. For example, if you have diabetes, certain serious heart conditions, seizure disorders, or very high blood pressure that isn't controlled. If you've had cancer in the last five years, or have problems moving around that would make it hard to do muscle tests, you also wouldn't be able to take part.

Additionally, you can't join if you take medicines that are known to affect your muscles, have an implanted electronic device (like a pacemaker), are allergic to seafood, or regularly eat more than one portion of oily fish per week. These rules help make sure the study results are fair and accurate.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 60 years old or older?
Is your Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 30?
Do you currently do intense resistance exercise for less than 1 hour per week?
Do you have diabetes or serious heart problems?
Are you allergic to seafood?
Do you eat more than one portion of oily fish per week?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part in this study, you'll need to visit the University of Glasgow, specifically the Sir James Black building, for all your appointments. There will be four visits in total, spread over about 8 weeks.

Your first visit will take about an hour. During this time, you'll fill out questionnaires about your activity and diet, and get used to some of the physical tests. The second visit, also about an hour, will happen after you haven't eaten or had strong drinks since 10 pm the night before, and haven't done intense exercise for two days. You'll have a blood sample taken, and measurements of your body, muscle size, and strength. You'll then be randomly given either krill oil or a mixed vegetable oil to take daily for 8 weeks.

After 8 weeks of taking the oil, you'll have your third visit, which will be longer, lasting about 3 hours. This visit will include another blood sample, repeat measurements, and you'll do some specific exercises designed to make your muscles a bit tired. More measurements and blood samples will be taken shortly after these exercises. Finally, two days after this, you'll have your last visit, lasting about an hour, where some of the measurements will be repeated one more time.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study might offer you some benefits, such as closely monitoring your muscle health and recovery, and contributing to important scientific knowledge about krill oil and muscle performance in older adults. As with any study, there are some potential risks. These include minor discomfort from blood draws, muscle soreness after the exercise tests, and possible side effects from the krill oil or vegetable oil, though these are generally considered safe. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your medical care.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

University of Glasgow
Verified postcode
Glasgow, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What is krill oil?

Krill oil is a supplement made from tiny sea creatures called krill. It contains healthy fats that may offer various health benefits.

Will I know if I'm taking krill oil or the other oil?

No, you won't know whether you're taking krill oil or the vegetable oil. This is done to keep the study fair and unbiased.

Will the exercises hurt?

The exercises are designed to make your muscles a bit tired, similar to how they might feel after a workout. You might experience some soreness, but researchers will monitor you closely.

How much blood will be taken?

During each visit where blood is needed, about 15ml (about one tablespoon) will be taken from a vein in your arm by a trained professional.

What happens to my information?

All your personal information and study results will be kept confidential and used only for research purposes, helping to protect your privacy.

How to find out more

Stuart Gray

stuart.gray@glasgow.ac.uk +441413302569 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.