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NCT Number: NCT07130513

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Lab 242, Sir James Black Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 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]).

Exclusion criteria

  • 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.

Treatment and study plan

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.

Other names: Omega 3 supplementation

Control

Dietary Supplement

Vegetable oil supplementation (4 g/day)

Primary outcomes

  1. Grip strength

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Measured using a handgrip dynamometer

Secondary outcomes

  1. Knee extendor Strength

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Knee extensor maximal torque measured during an isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)

  2. Muscle size, assessed as vastus lateralis muscle thickness by ultrasound

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    The investigators will assess vastus lateralis muscle thickness using B-mode ultrasound, with participants in a supine position. This measurement will also serve as an indirect indicator of muscle damage through cell swelling. The measurement site will be located at 10% of the thigh circumference lateral to the midpoint between the iliac crest and the superior border of the patella.

  3. Gait speed

    Time frame: From baseline to week 12

    Gait speed will be assessed as a measure of physical function.

  4. Fatty Acid Composition

    Time frame: From baseline to week 12

    A venous blood sample (15 ml) will be collected from an antecubital vein by a trained member of the research team and analysed for erythrocyte fatty acid profile.

  5. Inflammatory and metabolic markers

    Time frame: From baseline to week 12

    A venous blood sample (15 ml) will be collected by a trained member of the research team from an antecubital vein and analysed to estimate plasma glucose, lipids (triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, HDL), and markers of inflammation (e.g., hsCRP, IL-6, TNF-α, homocysteine).

  6. Height

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Height recorded using a stadiometer in centimetre at the beginning of the study.

  7. Bodyweight

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Changes in bodyweight, recorded in kilogram. Measured via body composition analyser.

  8. Body Mass Index (BMI)

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Will be calculated from the bodyweight (in kilogram) and height (in meter) according to the BMI formula (kg/m^2).

  9. Body Fat Mass

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Changes in body fat mass, recorded in kilogram. Measured via body composition analyser.

  10. Body Fat Percentages

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Changes in body fat percentage, recorded in percentage. Measured via body composition analyser.

  11. Fat Free Mass

    Time frame: Changes from baseline to week 12

    Changes in fat free mass, recorded in kilogram. Measured via body composition analyser.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Professor Stuart Gray

CONTACT

[email protected]

+441413302569

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Glasgow

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Krill Oil Supplementation on Muscle Function in Adults With High-risk Long-term Conditions: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Acronym: KOMM

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Aug 19, 2025
Registry last updated
Oct 2, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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