Uncovering the mechanisms through which krill oil increases muscle function in older adults

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As we age, unfortunately, we lose muscle strength and this frequently results in older people not being able to carry out everyday tasks, such as getting up from a chair or stepping on to a bus. This results in a reduced quality of life and an increased risk of having a fall that can result in hospitalisation. Low muscle strength is also a risk factor for many conditions such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease and makes recovery from any illness slower. These negative consequences translate to large economic costs with the most recent study in 2016 showing that the excess health and social care cost of muscle weakness in the UK was £2.5 billion/year. Currently we do not have any medicines that are effective in reversing muscle weakness and although resistance (weightlifting) exercise works, very few people do this, and any gains are readily lost after stopping training. Excitingly, in a study of around 100 people, we have recently shown that krill (small crustaceans) oil supplementation for 6 months results in a 10% increase in muscle strength, equivalent to the loss of muscle strength seen from 55 to 65 years of age. Whilst this is exciting, we need to understand the mechanisms underlying these effects to optimise treatment. Our data indicates that the increases in strength may be due to more effective transmission of the signal from the brain to the muscle, via the nerves, but exactly where is not clear. Furthermore, we need to investigate whether the increases in muscle strength and mass result in improvements in how older people perform daily activities like walking and getting up from a chair. The aim of the current study, therefore, is to determine the mechanisms via which krill oil supplementation increases muscle strength, and to determine whether it results in improvements in daily activities. In the proposed study we will recruit 80 older adults and supplement them for 6 months with placebo or krill oil and compare the effects of this on muscle size and strength, the brain-nerve-muscle interactions and its effects on daily activities. Together, this series of experiments will provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects of krill oil supplementation on muscle function, performance of daily activities and provide an in-depth characterisation of the mechanisms underlying these effects. Such information is crucial to optimise strategies to prevent and/or treat the age-related decline in muscle function.