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Carbs or protein before exercise: does sex change how your body burns fuel?

NCT ID NCT07829237

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Toronto Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
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 Results may not be published yet.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

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers at the University of Toronto are studying whether what you eat before endurance exercise changes how your body uses fuel, and whether that differs between men and women. Twenty-four recreationally active adults will each complete three cycling sessions after drinking either a carbohydrate beverage, a protein-based beverage, or a calorie-free drink. The team will measure how much carbohydrate and fat participants burn during 90 minutes of moderate cycling, and how long they can pedal before exhaustion.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Pre-exercise carbohydrate or protein beverage
What this could lead to
If the trial shows differences, it could help active people choose what to eat or drink before endurance exercise based on their sex.
What could go wrong
This is a small, short-term study in healthy, fit adults. The results may not apply to other groups, and any performance differences may be minor.

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 24 people

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

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jun 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

18 to 35 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * Participating in ≥150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week * VO₂peak classified as "good" or above based on American College of Sports Medicine normative values: \>35.0 mL/kg/min for females and \>39.0 mL/kg/min for males * Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 27 kg/m² * Participating in 3-5 structured exercise sessions per week * Weight stable, defined as within ±2 kg for at least 6 months * Non-smoker * Females must be eumenorrheic Exclusion Criteria: * Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis Current use of oral contraceptives or oral contraceptive use within the previous 3 months Diagnosed cardiovascular or metabolic disease Hypergonadism or hypogonadism Use of medications for management of blood glucose or lipid metabolism Pregnant or \<12 months postpartum Lactating or breastfeeding within 3 months of study commencement Menopausal Recreational tobacco smoking Inability to complete the study exercise protocols or comply with pre-trial dietary or physical activity controls Use of medications that may affect substrate metabolism, including corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Currently following a low-carbohydrate diet, such as a ketogenic or Atkins diet

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Motor Activity

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Healthy adults

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  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

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport

    RECRUITING

    Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C9, Canada

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