An interventional study of Pre-exercise carbohydrate beverage and Pre-exercise protein beverage in Healthy Adults, sponsored by University of Toronto. Recruiting at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-18.
Sponsored by University of Toronto · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
This study will investigate whether pre-exercise nutrition influences sex differences in fuel utilization during endurance exercise. Twenty-four recreationally active adults (12 females and 12 males) will complete three experimental exercise trials in a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design. Before each trial, participants will consume either a carbohydrate beverage, a protein-based beverage, or a flavour-matched non-caloric beverage representing the fasted condition. Thirty minutes later, participants will complete 90 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling followed by a cycling time-to-task-failure test. Whole-body carbohydrate and fat oxidation, exogenous substrate oxidation, blood metabolites, and exercise performance will be assessed.
Sex differences in substrate utilization during fasted endurance exercise are well established, with females generally demonstrating greater reliance on fat oxidation and lower carbohydrate utilization than males. However, exercise is frequently performed following nutrient ingestion, and it remains unclear whether sex differences in substrate utilization persist when carbohydrate or protein is consumed before exercise.
This randomized, counterbalanced crossover study will compare three pre-exercise nutritional conditions: carbohydrate (CHO), protein (PRO), and fasted/placebo (FAST). Participants will complete each condition separated by a minimum three-day washout. Following an overnight fast, participants will consume the assigned beverage and rest for 30 minutes before completing 90 minutes of cycling at 65% of VO2peak. This will be followed by a two-minute rest and a cycling time-to-task-failure test at 85% of maximal work rate.
The primary objective is to determine whether pre-exercise nutrition modifies sex differences in whole-body carbohydrate and fat oxidation and exogenous substrate oxidation during exercise. A secondary objective is to determine the effects of pre-exercise nutrition and sex on subsequent exercise performance.
9,798 studies on the registry are indexed under Motor Activity; 1,910 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 24 is below the median of 60 across 8,388 interventional studies indexed under Motor Activity.
Browse Motor Activity studies →University of Toronto is the lead sponsor of 403 studies on the registry; 54 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
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Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
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BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will consume a carbohydrate beverage following an overnight fast. Thirty minutes after beverage consumption, participants will complete 90 minutes of cycling at 65% of VO2peak, followed by a 2-minute rest and a cycling time-to-task-failure test at 85% of maximal work rate.
Dietary Supplement: Pre-exercise carbohydrate beverage
Participants will consume a protein-based beverage following an overnight fast. Thirty minutes after beverage consumption, participants will complete 90 minutes of cycling at 65% of VO2peak, followed by a 2-minute rest and a cycling time-to-task-failure test at 85% of maximal work rate.
Dietary Supplement: Pre-exercise protein beverage
Participants will remain fasted and consume a non-caloric, flavour-matched beverage. Thirty minutes after beverage consumption, participants will complete 90 minutes of cycling at 65% of VO2peak, followed by a 2-minute rest and a cycling time-to-task-failure test at 85% of maximal work rate.
Other: Fasted control beverage
A carbohydrate beverage providing 1 g glucose/kg body mass, enriched with 1 mg/kg body mass \[U-13C6\]-D-glucose for assessment of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation, with calorie-free flavouring. The beverage will be consumed within 5 minutes, 30 minutes before exercise.
A protein-based beverage providing 0.45 g protein/kg body mass and supplemented with 0.24 g fat/kg body mass to match the energy content of the carbohydrate condition. The beverage is enriched with L-\[1-13C\]leucine and flavour-matched to the carbohydrate beverage. It will be consumed within 5 minutes, 30 minutes before exercise.
A non-caloric beverage consisting of water and sugar-free flavouring, flavour-matched to the carbohydrate beverage. The beverage will be consumed within 5 minutes following an overnight fast, 30 minutes before exercise.
Whole-body carbohydrate oxidation
Whole-body carbohydrate oxidation will be calculated from oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2) measured by indirect calorimetry during 90 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling. Carbohydrate oxidation will be compared between the carbohydrate, protein, and fasted conditions and between females and males.
Time frame: During the 90-minute exercise bout
Whole-body fat oxidation
Whole-body fat oxidation will be calculated from VO2 and VCO2 measured by indirect calorimetry during 90 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling. Fat oxidation will be compared between the carbohydrate, protein, and fasted conditions and between females and males.
Time frame: During the 90-min exercise bout
Exogenous glucose oxidation
Exogenous glucose oxidation will be determined during the carbohydrate condition using breath 13CO2 enrichment following ingestion of \[U-13C6\]-D-glucose. Breath samples will be analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and exogenous glucose oxidation will be calculated using 13CO2 enrichment and carbon dioxide production.
Time frame: During the 90-min exercise bout
Exogenous leucine oxidation
Exogenous leucine oxidation will be determined during the protein condition using breath ¹³CO₂ enrichment following ingestion of L-\[1-¹³C\]leucine. Breath samples will be analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and exogenous leucine oxidation will be calculated using breath ¹³CO₂ enrichment and carbon dioxide production.
Time frame: During the 90-min exercise bout
Time to task failure
Exercise performance will be assessed as time to volitional exhaustion during a cycling time-to-task-failure test performed at 85% of maximal work rate following the 90-minute moderate-intensity cycling bout.
Time frame: Immediately following the 90-min exercise bout
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Jun 2027, 9 months later.
Of 5,147 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Motor Activity, half reached primary completion within 17 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 36. This study's planned 9 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 5,207 studies reached it within 17 months; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 36.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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