Introduction Sarcopenia imposes a substantial burden on society, while omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation holds the potential for preventing and treating this condition. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of three different n-3 PUFA supplementation regimens compared with each other and to corn oil placebo intervention on muscle health in community-dwelling older adults at high risk of sarcopenia. Methods and analysis A total of 400 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or older, with handgrip strength <28 kg (men) or <18 kg (women), will be recruited for this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants will be randomly allocated (1:1:1:1) to one of four groups for 6 months: (1) the high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) group, (2) the high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) group, (3) the high sn2-DHA group, (4) the corn oil control group. All intervention products will be packaged as capsules and administered at a daily dose of 2.5 g. The primary outcome is the change in handgrip strength. Secondary outcomes include changes in skeletal muscle mass, physical function, inflammation- and metabolism-related blood biomarkers and gut microbiota diversity.A Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Ruijin Hospital Ethics Committee. Trial findings will be disseminated via publications in international peer-reviewed journals and presentations at relevant academic conferences. Study results will be made available to participants and the public on study completion. Trial registration number ChiCTR2500110506.
Zhang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.