Investigating the Feasibility of Krill Oil Intervention to Improve Muscle Function in Adults With Long-term Conditions

NCT07130513 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: KOMM
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study will recruit 30 adults (men and women, aged 18 years and over) who will be randomly assigned to one of two groups in a 12-week double-blind pilot trial. Participants will receive either:

• Arm 1: Krill Oil group: 4 g/day of krill oil supplements (Superba™ Antarctic Krill Oil, 1000 mg capsules), or
• Arm 2: Control group: 4 g/day of placebo (vegetable oil capsules). Participants will be instructed to maintain their usual diet and physical activity patterns throughout the study. Eligibility will be assessed using a health screening questionnaire, completed with the researcher's assistance, before obtaining informed consent. Habitual physical activity will be evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form), and dietary intake will be assessed with the EPIC Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) at both the beginning and end of the study. In addition, participants will record their fish consumption weekly using a dedicated logbook. Measurements will be taken at baseline and after 12 weeks, including:
• Blood samples to assess inflammatory and metabolic markers.
• Anthropometry and body composition, including weight, height, fat mass, fat percentage, and muscle mass (via ultrasound).
• Muscle strength, measured using handgrip strength and maximal voluntary contraction (each performed three times with rest between attempts).
• Physical performance, assessed with a 4-meter walk test at normal speed Upon completing the study, participants will receive a £50 voucher in appreciation of their contribution.

Conditions

Krill Oil; Muscle Function; Grip Strength; Long-Term Conditions; Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Grip strength

  Measured using a handgrip dynamometer

  Changes from baseline to week 12

Secondary Outcomes (11)

• Knee extendor Strength

  Changes from baseline to week 12

• Muscle size, assessed as vastus lateralis muscle thickness by ultrasound

  Changes from baseline to week 12

• Gait speed

  From baseline to week 12

• Fatty Acid Composition

  From baseline to week 12

• Inflammatory and metabolic markers

  From baseline to week 12

Study Arms (2)

Arm 1: Krill Oil group

EXPERIMENTAL

4 g/day of krill oil (Superba™ Antarctic Krill Oil, 1000 mg capsules) for 12 weeks.

Dietary Supplement: Krill oil supplementation

Arm 2: Control group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

4 g/day of placebo (vegetable oil capsules) for 12 weeks.

Dietary Supplement: Control

Interventions

Krill oil supplementation DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Krill oil supplementation program providing 4 g/day of krill oil (Superba™ Antarctic Krill Oil, 1000 mg capsules) for 12 weeks.

Also known as: Omega 3 supplementation

Arm 1: Krill Oil group

Control DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Vegetable oil supplementation (4 g/day)

Arm 2: Control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Men and women aged ≥18 years who are in the high-risk long-term condition group (having one or more LTCs, including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke \[including transient ischemic attack, TIA\]).

You may not qualify if:

• Participants are diagnosed with and being treated for any type of cancer.
• Presence of neurocognitive disorders or any health condition affecting memory (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, dementia).
• Aortic stenosis, history of haemorrhagic stroke, or presence of aneurysms.
• Current anticoagulant therapy.
• Use of any muscle mass supplements or presence of physiological conditions such as pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• History of allergy to fish or fish oil.
• Regular consumption of more than one portion of oily fish per week, or use of fish oil or krill oil supplements.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Glasgow: lead

Study Sites (2)

Lab 242, Sir James Black Building, University of Glasgow

Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G12 8TA, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

University of Glasgow

Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G12 8TA, United Kingdom

NOT YET RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Professor Stuart Gray

CONTACT

+441413302569; stuart.gray@glasgow.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor Stuart Gray

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2025
• First Posted: August 19, 2025
• Study Start: August 18, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (2)