Krill oil reanalysis found no clear subgroup differences in muscle outcomes
Responses to krill oil were compared by age, sex and body mass index. Main muscle outcomes showed no statistically significant subgroup differences.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In this exploratory reanalysis, changes in muscle strength, size and physical function did not differ significantly across the age, sex or BMI subgroups. That result does not establish equal benefit for everyone. A separate electrical muscle measure suggested a sex-related difference, but it is not evidence of a larger strength benefit in men.
Exploratory subgroup analyses involved a modest sample. The abstract omits subgroup effect sizes and confidence intervals for strength, size and physical function, so it cannot show whether meaningful response differences were excluded.
What researchers found
Changes in muscle strength, size and physical function
Age, sex and BMI subgroup comparisons after 6 months of krill oil versus control oil; all P > 0.05.
Question behind the reanalysis
The original trial measured muscle outcomes before and after supplementation. The reanalysis focused on differences between participant subgroups, without reporting the overall treatment effect size for these outcomes.
A separate electrical measure
A sex-related signal involved Mwave, a measure linked to muscle membrane excitability. It does not show that men gained more muscle strength or physical function than women.
The original publication
Do the effects of krill oil supplementation on skeletal muscle function and size in older adults differ by sex, age or BMI: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.
Hayman O, Alkhedhairi SA, Combet E et al.
J Nutr Health Aging · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41344001
- Record checked
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