Effects of Exercise Combined with a Healthy Diet or Calanus finmarchicus Oil Supplementation on Body Composition and Metabolic Markers-A Pilot Study

authored by: Paulina Wasserfurth, Josefine Nebl, Jan Philipp Schuchardt, Mattea Müller, Tim Konstantin Boßlau, Karsten Krüger, Andreas Hahn
Abstract: Aging is accompanied by a progressive decline in muscle mass and an increase in fat mass, which are detrimental changes associated with the development of health conditions such as type-2 diabetes mellitus or chronic low-grade inflammation. Although both exercise as well as nutritional interventions are known to be beneficial in counteracting those age-related changes, data to which extent untrained elderly people may benefit is still sparse. Therefore, a randomized, controlled, 12-week interventional trial was conducted in which 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 allocated to one of four study groups: (1) control group with no intervention (CON); (2) 2×/week aerobic and resistance training only (EX); (3) exercise routine combined with dietary counseling in accordance with the guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (EXDC); (4) exercise routine combined with intake of 2 g/day oil from Calanus finmarchicus (EXCO). Body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis), as well as markers of glucose metabolism and blood lipids, were analyzed at the beginning and the end of the study. The highest decreases in body fat were observed within the EXCO group (-1.70 ± 2.45 kg, p < 0.001), and the EXDC (-1.41 ± 2.13 kg, p = 0.008) group. Markers of glucose metabolism and blood lipids remained unchanged in all groups. Taken together results of this pilot study suggest that a combination of moderate exercise and intake of oil from Calanus finmarchicus or a healthy diet may promote fat loss in elderly untrained overweight participants.
Organisation(s): Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Nutrition Physiology and Human Nutrition Section
External Organisation(s): Justus Liebig University Giessen
Type: Article
Journal: NUTRIENTS
Volume: 12
No. of pages: 16
ISSN: 2072-6643
Publication date: 18.07.2020
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12072139 (Access: Open)