Middle Age muScle Krill Study (MASK)

The Effect of Krill Oil Supplementation on Muscle Function and Mass in Middle-aged Adults: A Randomised Controlled Trial

This study will determine the effect of 6 months of supplementation with krill oil on muscle strength and mass in middle-aged adults. The study hypothesis is that krill oil supplementation will increase muscle strength and mass in middle-aged adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sarcopenia
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Vegetable oil; Dietary supplement: Krill oil

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 54
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Glasgow, United Kingdom
    • University of Glasgow

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be 35-60 years old
• Have a BMI of less than 35kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• People with 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 the ability to perform assessments of muscle function, dementia, on anticoagulant therapy, and/or taking medication known to affect muscle (e.g., steroids).
• People who have allergies to seafood, and/or regular consumption of more than 1 portion of oily fish per week.
• People who perform regular (>1 day/week) resistance exercise training.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; Krill oil 4g/day for 24 weeks	Dietary supplement: Krill oil; Superba krill oil
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Vegetable oil 4g/day for 24 weeks	Dietary supplement: Vegetable oil; Mixed vegetable oil

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in knee extensor maximal isometric torque ( MVC)	Knee extensor maximal isometric torque measured during a maximal voluntary contraction	Change from baseline to 24 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in fat mass	Whole body fat mass measured by measured via bio-electrical impedance	Change from baseline to 24 weeks
Change in lean mass	Whole body lean mass measured by measured via bio-electrical impedance	Change from baseline to 24 weeks
Change in omega-3 levels	Red blood cell omega-3 levels	Change from baseline to 24 weeks
Change in Grip strength	Grip strength measured with a hand held dynamometer	Change from baseline to 24 weeks
Change in Muscle thickness	Vastus lateralis muscle thickness measured by ultrasound	Change from baseline to 24 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in systemic inflammation	Plasma levels of C-reactive protein, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α	Change from baseline to 24 weeks
Change in muscle inflammation	Muscle total protein levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 and total and phosphorylated levels of NFκB, JNK1/2 and STAT3	Change from baseline to 24 weeks
Change in muscle anabolic signalling	Muscle total and phosphorylated protein levels of mTOR, IRS-1, Akt, 4EBP-1, p70S6K, RPS6, FOXO-1, GSK3β and total protein levels of MAFBx and MURF-1	Change from baseline to 24 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Glasgow

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 16, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 16, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 22, 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: Muscle strength; Muscle mass; Krill oil; Middle-aged
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Muscular Atrophy; Atrophy; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Sarcopenia; Lipids; Plant Preparations; Biological Products; Complex Mixtures; Oils; Plant Oils
• Other Study ID Numbers: MASK

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