Promising Results from Pilot Study: Effects of Exercise and Nutrition on Body Composition in the Elderly
Science is at the heart of everything we do. As the first ones in the world, we are persistently working on research and development, documenting the potential of the valuable bioactive components from this unique resource. The different product streams derived from Calanus finmarchicus now have a solid track record of documentation – providing insight to the different areas of impact.
We are pleased to share exciting findings from the pilot study titled "Effects of Exercise Combined with a Healthy Diet or Calanus finmarchicus Oil Supplementation on Body Composition and Metabolic Markers." This study delves into the critical issue of age-related changes in body composition and explores interventions to mitigate the progressive decline in muscle mass and increase in fat mass associated with aging.
Aging brings forth detrimental changes, such as the decline in muscle mass and the rise in fat mass, which are closely linked to the development of health conditions like type-2 diabetes mellitus and chronic low-grade inflammation. Recognizing the potential benefits of both exercise and nutritional interventions in counteracting these changes, this study aimed to evaluate the extent to which untrained elderly individuals could benefit from such interventions.
In this randomized, controlled, 12-week interventional trial, 134 healthy untrained participants (96 women and 38 men, age 59.4 ± 5.6 years, body mass index (BMI) 28.4 ± 5.8 kg/m2) were divided into four study groups:
- Control group with no intervention (CON).
- 2/week aerobic and resistance training only (EX).
- Exercise routine combined with dietary counseling following the guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (EXDC).
- Exercise routine combined with intake of 2 g/day oil from Calanus finmarchicus (EXCO).
The study assessed body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis, along with markers of glucose metabolism and blood lipids, both at the beginning and the end of the 12-week period.
The most noteworthy results emerged from the EXCO group, which exhibited the highest decreases in body fat, achieving a significant reduction of 2.3 kg (p < 0.001). This decrease was closely followed by the EXDC group, which also showed a notable reduction in fat mass, amounting to 1.4 kg (p< 0.01). Furthermore, the EXCO group experienced a significant increase in lean body mass, with an impressive gain of 1.1 kg (p < 0.01), indicating not just a reduction in fat content but also an enhancement in muscle mass and overall physical health.
Interestingly, while no significant differences in blood lipid levels were observed across all groups, the EXCO group alone demonstrated a considerable decrease in triglycerides. This finding suggests a specific benefit of Zooca® Calanus® oil in lipid metabolism, adding another layer to the positive outcomes associated with this supplementation.
Conclusions
Taken together, results from this study indicate that a combination of moderate exercise with a healthy diet or Zooca® Calanus® Oil supplementation may promote body fat loss in elderly, untrained, overweight subjects when compared to exercise only. Metabolic markers such as blood lipids and markers of glucose metabolism did not change significantly. Future research should investigate potential effects of a healthy diet (rich in n-3 PUFAs) vs. Zooca® Calanus® Oil supplementation with and without exercise, particularly in regard to body composition.
- Read the study here on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32708396/
- Read more about our Science here: https://zooca.eu/health-benefits/
