Can a seaweed cake help fight Age-Related muscle loss?

NCT ID NCT07689994

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

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Status unknown
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First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a daily chocolate cake enriched with seaweed flour and leucine can improve metabolic and inflammatory markers in older adults with sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). Participants aged 60–80 with low muscle strength will eat one of three cakes daily for 28 days: a standard cake, a cake with added leucine, or a cake with both leucine and seaweed flour. The main goal is to see changes in a blood marker called transthyretin, which reflects nutritional status.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
seaweed flour and leucine
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a simple dietary supplement to help manage sarcopenia in older adults.
What could go wrong
This is a small, short-term trial (28 days) measuring blood markers, not muscle mass or function directly. Results may not translate to long-term benefits.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 102 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Mar 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria * Age between 60 and 80 years at the time of enrollment. * Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent. * SARC-F score ≥4 during screening. * Reduced muscle strength defined as handgrip strength \<27 kg in men or \<16 kg in women; alternatively, a time \>15 seconds on the five-repetition chair stand test when handgrip dynamometry cannot be validly performed or is contraindicated. * Availability to attend study visits and comply with daily consumption of the study product for 28 days. * Willingness to provide fasting blood samples at the Day 0 and Day 28 visits. Exclusion Criteria * Cognitive impairment according to the abbreviated Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), using the operational cutoff approved for the study (≤13 points). * Clinically significant chronic liver disease, clinically significant chronic kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome, active cancer or recent oncological treatment, or any condition that may substantially affect serum TTR levels or increase participant risk. * Acute infection, acute inflammatory condition, or clinical decompensation at baseline that may interfere with the interpretation of serum TTR measurements. * Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or any metabolic condition that, in the investigator's judgment, may increase the risks associated with the intervention. * Food allergy or intolerance to any component of the study product, including gluten, egg, milk, or other specific cake ingredients. * Use of leucine, HMB, or protein supplements within the previous 3 months. * Chronic use of systemic corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, or other therapies that may significantly alter the metabolic response under study. * Untreated thyroid disease or any other unstable endocrine disorder. * Clinically significant edema, severe dehydration, or any condition that may compromise the validity of bioelectrical impedance measurements. * Any medical, functional, social, or cognitive condition that may limit safe participation or adherence to the study protocol.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Sarcopenia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Universidad Finis Terrae

    Santiago, 8010000, Chile

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