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

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Muscle Function; Grip Strength; Omega 3 Fatty Acids; Krill Oil; Long-Term Conditions
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Krill oil supplementation; Dietary supplement: Control

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Professor Stuart Gray; Phone Number: +441413302569; Email: stuart.gray@glasgow.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Lanarkshire
    • Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, G12 8TA
      • Recruiting
      • Lab 242, Sir James Black Building, University of Glasgow
      • Contact: Marion Guerrero; Phone Number: 07922634654; Email: marion.g.wyss@gmail.com
      • Contact: Lynsey Johnston; Phone Number: 01413306287; Email: Lynsey.Johnston@glasgow.ac.uk
      • Principal Investigator: Stuart R Gray
    • Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom, G12 8TA
      • Not yet recruiting
      • University of Glasgow
      • Contact: Stuart Gray; Phone Number: 01413302569; Email: stuart.gray@glasgow.ac.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm 1: Krill Oil group; 4 g/day of krill oil (Superba™ Antarctic Krill Oil, 1000 mg capsules) for 12 weeks.	Dietary supplement: Krill oil supplementation; 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
Placebo Comparator: Arm 2: Control group; 4 g/day of placebo (vegetable oil capsules) for 12 weeks.	Dietary supplement: Control; Vegetable oil supplementation (4 g/day)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Grip strength	Measured using a handgrip dynamometer	Changes from baseline to week 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knee extendor Strength	Knee extensor maximal torque measured during an isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)	Changes from baseline to week 12
Muscle size, assessed as vastus lateralis muscle thickness by ultrasound	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.	Changes from baseline to week 12
Gait speed	Gait speed will be assessed as a measure of physical function.	From baseline to week 12
Fatty Acid Composition	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.	From baseline to week 12
Inflammatory and metabolic markers	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).	From baseline to week 12
Height	Height recorded using a stadiometer in centimetre at the beginning of the study.	Changes from baseline to week 12
Bodyweight	Changes in bodyweight, recorded in kilogram. Measured via body composition analyser.	Changes from baseline to week 12
Body Mass Index (BMI)	Will be calculated from the bodyweight (in kilogram) and height (in meter) according to the BMI formula (kg/m^2).	Changes from baseline to week 12
Body Fat Mass	Changes in body fat mass, recorded in kilogram. Measured via body composition analyser.	Changes from baseline to week 12
Body Fat Percentages	Changes in body fat percentage, recorded in percentage. Measured via body composition analyser.	Changes from baseline to week 12
Fat Free Mass	Changes in fat free mass, recorded in kilogram. Measured via body composition analyser.	Changes from baseline to week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Glasgow

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 18, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 15, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): August 19, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): October 2, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2025
• Last Verified: October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: KOMM

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