Krill Oil Boosts Fat Burning and Protein Building in Muscle Cells
This study looked at how krill oil affects energy use and protein production in human skeletal muscle cells (myotubes). Researchers took muscle samples from volunteers before and after a 7-week period of taking either krill oil or a placebo oil, then studied how the cells handled fuel sources like fat and sugar.
After the krill oil period, muscle cells showed a greater ability to burn fat (oleic acid) for energy and built up more protein-building material (leucine), though sugar handling wasn’t changed. Interestingly, the improvement in fat-burning was linked to bigger drops in blood LDL cholesterol levels in the same people.
The researchers also treated muscle cells directly with krill oil in the lab for 24 hours, which increased both fat and sugar metabolism. Genetic and protein analyses showed changes in pathways related to sugar processing, general metabolism, and cell signaling, along with more LDL-receptor protein—the receptor that helps clear LDL cholesterol from blood.
What this means for you
This early-stage lab research suggests krill oil may support how muscle cells use fat for fuel and build protein, with a possible connection to healthier cholesterol handling—but this was tested in cultured cells, not as a direct measure of body composition or performance, so more research in whole-body settings is needed before drawing firm conclusions.
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Frontiers in nutrition · 2024-01-01 · DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1452768
Read the original source ↗This summary is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider before making changes to your supplement routine.