The weight loss market is transforming — but an often overlooked challenge remains: how can muscle strength and metabolic health be protected during weight reduction?
Today’s weight management solutions — ranging from calorie restriction to cutting-edge GLP-1 receptor agonists — have opened new possibilities for tackling obesity. Yet one critical side effect remains under-recognized: the unintended loss of muscle mass.
The muscle loss dilemma
When people lose weight — whether through diet, medications, or both — they do not only lose fat. Research shows that approximately 25–30% of weight loss comes from fat-free mass (FFM), which includes muscle tissue (1,2). For many individuals, this translates to reduced strength, impaired functional capacity, and compromised metabolic regulation.
The rise of GLP-1-based therapies has further elevated the conversation. These medications deliver substantial weight loss, but data suggest that as much as 25% to 39% of the total weight lost may be muscle mass (3). This exceeds the natural age-related decline in muscle tissue and introduces potential long-term risks if not properly addressed.
In short: successful weight loss is not just about losing weight — it’s about preserving strength, resilience, and metabolic function along the way.
The Role of Nutrition: An Emerging Opportunity
Preserving muscle mass during weight loss can deliver significant health benefits. Muscle not only supports physical strength and function but also plays an essential role in metabolic regulation, glucose utilization, inflammation control, and immune system performance. Loss of muscle tissue can compromise these vital processes and undermine long-term weight maintenance success.
Nutritional support that targets muscle preservation can help:
- Maintain functional strength and mobility
- Support healthy metabolism and glucose balance
- Improve long-term outcomes from weight loss interventions
- Reduce the risk of metabolic and inflammatory complications
This creates a clear opportunity for innovative nutritional solutions to complement both dietary and pharmaceutical weight loss programs.
Krill Oil: A Multi-Nutrient, Phospholipid-Based Support for Muscle Preservation and a Healthy Metabolism
Krill oil offers a distinctive nutritional profile highly relevant for muscle health during weight loss. It delivers a natural combination of key nutrients, provided in a highly bioavailable phospholipid form, that work together to help protect muscle tissue:
- Choline is used to produce acetylcholine, which is needed for muscle contractions [4]. It also supports fat and protein metabolism by reducing fatty acid production and promoting muscle growth.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, promote muscle protein synthesis, improve mitochondrial function, and balance inflammation
These combined benefits make krill oil a promising supplement for maintaining muscle health and supporting a healthy metabolism while reducing fat.
This is particularly relevant in light of a newly published cross-sectional study in Frontiers, which found that individuals using GLP-1 medications for weight loss often have poor diet quality and fall short in key nutrients – including protein, choline, and several essential vitamins and minerals.5
Given that krill oil naturally delivers highly bioavailable choline, along with omega-3 fatty acids that support both metabolic and muscular health, it stands out as a valuable nutritional ally for individuals pursuing weight loss – especially those at risk of nutrient deficiencies due to dietary restrictions or reduced intake.
New Clinical Research: Krill Oil Helps Preserve Muscle During Weight Loss
Recent clinical research further supports krill oil’s potential to mitigate muscle loss during weight loss interventions.
In 2025, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study showed that individuals undergoing diet-induced weight loss who supplemented with krill oil showed better preservation of fat-free mass, muscle strength, and functional performance compared to placebo. (6) Moreover, plasma inflammatory markers were significantly lower in the krill oil group compared to the placebo group, further supporting its role in comprehensive metabolic health.
While total weight loss was similar between the krill oil and placebo groups, participants receiving krill oil were able to maintain muscle mass and strength more effectively — a key consideration for both short-term functional outcomes and long-term metabolic health.
In addition to the benefits with metabolic health and muscle maintenance, krill oil is also recognized for its benefits to enhance muscle mass and function. For instance, a six- month study involving 92 adults showed that daily supplementation of 4g/day of Superba Boost led to significant improvements; grip strength increased by 11%, knee extensor strength by 9% and thigh muscle thickness by 3.5% compared to the placebo group. Additionally, the krill oil group showed a 17% increase in the M-wave, which is linked to muscle strength and neuromuscular function.7
Beyond Muscle: Broader Metabolic Benefits
In addition to its impact on muscle preservation, krill oil also offers multiple metabolic benefits highly relevant for individuals undergoing weight management:
- Supports healthy blood lipid profiles
- Supports liver function
- Shown to reduce inflammation which may help preserve Fat Free Mass (FFM) and muscle functioning during weight loss
These additional effects further strengthen krill oil’s positioning as a multi-functional ingredient supporting modern weight management.
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A Science-Supported Solution for an Evolving Market
As weight loss strategies continue to evolve — and as consumers increasingly seek holistic solutions — the importance of essential nutrition that helps support muscle strength, metabolic function, and resilience is growing rapidly.
Superba Krill offers:
- Clinically supported muscle preservation benefits during weight loss
- Synergistic action from omega-3 EPA & DHA, choline, and phospholipid-based delivery
- A natural, clean-label ingredient profile backed by science
- Compatibility with both lifestyle and pharmaceutical weight loss programs
To explore the full clinical evidence on krill oil’s role in preserving muscle mass and supporting a healthy metabolism during weight loss, download our whitepaper:
References:
- Turicchi, J. R.; et al. Associations between the proportion of fat-free mass loss during weight loss, changes in appetite, and subsequent weight change: results from a randomized 2-stage dietary intervention trial. Am J Clin Nutr, 2020. 111(3): p. 536-544.
- Chaston, T.B., J. Dixon, and P.E. O’Brien, Changes in fat-free mass during significant weight loss: a systematic review. Int J Obes, 2007. 31(5): p. 743-750.
- Conte, C.; et al. Is Weight Loss–Induced Muscle Mass Loss Clinically Relevant? JAMA, 2024.
- Moretti, A., M. Paoletta, S. Liguori, M. Bertone, G. Toro, and G. Iolascon, Choline: an essential nutrient for skeletal muscle. Nutrients, 2020. 12(7): p. 2144
- Johnson, B.; et al. Investigating nutrient intake during use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers, 2025. Volume 12.
- Albalaji, M; et al. Benefits of Krill Oil Supplementation During Alternate-Day Fasting in Adults With Overweight and Obesity: A Randomized Trial. Obesity, 2025
- Alkhedhairi, S.A.; et al. The effect of krill oil supplementation on skeletal muscle function and size in older adults: A randomised controlled trial. Clin Nutr, 2022. 41: p. 1228-1235.