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

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: Completed
• Conditions: Hypertrophy
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Vegetable oil; Dietary supplement: Carbohydrate; Dietary supplement: Krill protein; Dietary supplement: Krill oil

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 52
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Glasgow, United Kingdom
    • Stuart Robert Gray

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• 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

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Post-exercise muscle protein synthesis	Muscle protein synthesis measured 3-7h after a single bout of resistance exercise	3-7 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Muscle thickness	Vastus lateralis muscle thickness measured by ultrasound	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in grip strength	Grip strength measured with a Jamar dynamometer	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in fat mass	Whole body fat mass measured by BIA	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in lean mass	Whole body lean mass measured by BIA	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in muscle strength	Knee extensor muscle strength measured isometrically	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in Chair rise time	Time taken to get up and down from a chair 5 times	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Change in balance	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 taken to walk 4 metres at a normal walking pace	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Basal muscle protein synthesis	Muscle protein synthesis measured from 0-3h after an overnight fast	0-3 hours
Change in Erythrocyte fatty acid profile	Erythrocyte fatty acid profile	Change from baseline to 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Glasgow
• Collaborators: Aker BioMarine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 25, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 25, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 7, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 7, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): March 17, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; Omega-3; Protein; Krill oil
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Hypertrophy; Motor Activity; Lipids; Plant Preparations; Biological Products; Complex Mixtures; Oils; Carbohydrates; Plant Oils; krill protein extract
• Other Study ID 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