Investigating the Effects of Krill Oil and Krill Protein on Post-exercise Muscle Protein Metabolism (KIPLING)

April 27, 2026 updated by: Stuart Gray, University of Glasgow

Investigating the Effects of Krill Oil and Krill Protein on Post-exercise Muscle Protein Metabolism: a Randomised Controlled Trial

The aim of the current study is to find out if krill oil can increase muscle building processes in response to resistance (weightlifting) type exercise. Others aim are to determine the effects of krill protein, and the interaction of krill oil and protein, on muscle building processes in response to resistance (weightlifting) type exercise.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
52

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

60 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Be 60 years old or older
  • Have a BMI of less than 35kg/m2
  • Be participating in structured exercise for less than 2h per week

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diabetes
  • Severe cardiovascular disease
  • Seizure disorders,
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (>150/90mmHg at baseline measurement)
  • Cancer or cancer that has been in remission <5 years
  • Ambulatory impairments which would limit ability to perform assessments of muscle function
  • Dementia
  • Taking medication known to affect muscle (e.g., steroids)
  • Have an implanted electronic device (e.g., pacemaker/defibrillator/insulin pump),
  • Anticoagulant therapy
  • Allergies to seafood
  • Regular consumption of more than 1 portion of oily fish per week.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Vegetable oil + Carbohydrate
The vegetable oil will be a placebo control for the Krill oil (4g/day). The carbohydrate will be a placebo control for the Krill protein (20g)
Dietary supplement: Vegetable oil
This will be the control against the Krill oil
Dietary supplement: Carbohydrate
This will be the control for the Krill protein
Experimental: Vegetable oil + Krill protein
The vegetable oil will be a placebo control for the Krill oil (4g/day). Krill protein will be our active intervention (20g)
Dietary supplement: Vegetable oil
This will be the control against the Krill oil
Dietary supplement: Krill protein
Krill protein will be given to the participant following a resistance exercise bout.
Experimental: Krill oil + Carbohydrate
The Krill oil will be the active supplement for the intervention (4g/day). The carbohydrate will be a placebo control for the Krill protein (20g)
Dietary supplement: Carbohydrate
This will be the control for the Krill protein
Dietary supplement: Krill oil
Krill oil will be supplemented to see if they can gain strength and/or muscle mass following supplementation.
Experimental: Krill oil + Krill protein
Both the Krill oil (4g/day) and the Krill protein will be the active intervention supplements (20g)
Dietary supplement: Krill protein
Krill protein will be given to the participant following a resistance exercise bout.
Dietary supplement: Krill oil
Krill oil will be supplemented to see if they can gain strength and/or muscle mass following supplementation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Post-exercise muscle protein synthesis
Time Frame: 3-7 hours
Muscle protein synthesis measured 3-7h after a single bout of resistance exercise
3-7 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Muscle thickness
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Vastus lateralis muscle thickness measured by ultrasound
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in grip strength
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Grip strength measured with a Jamar dynamometer
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in fat mass
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Whole body fat mass measured by BIA
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in lean mass
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Whole body lean mass measured by BIA
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in muscle strength
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Knee extensor muscle strength measured isometrically
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in Chair rise time
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Time taken to get up and down from a chair 5 times
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in balance
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Ability to stand for 10 seconds in full tandem, semi-tandem and feet together
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in gait speed
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Time taken to walk 4 metres at a normal walking pace
Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Basal muscle protein synthesis
Time Frame: 0-3 hours
Muscle protein synthesis measured from 0-3h after an overnight fast
0-3 hours
Change in Erythrocyte fatty acid profile
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Erythrocyte fatty acid profile
Change from baseline to 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Glasgow

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Aker BioMarine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 25, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 25, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 7, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 7, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 17, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • KIPLING

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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