Calories vs. couch time: can diet save your muscles?
NCT ID NCT04900701
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at how eating more or fewer calories affects muscle protein production and muscle size in healthy middle-aged adults during a short period of leg immobilization. Twenty-three participants were monitored under different energy intake conditions. The goal is to understand how diet might help prevent muscle loss when people are less active.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could help design better dietary strategies to prevent muscle loss during periods of inactivity, like bed rest or recovery from injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 23 participants. Results may not apply to older adults or people with health conditions, and the findings are not a treatment or cure.
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
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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
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23 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2021
- Finished
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Jun 2024
- Lead sponsor
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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
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35 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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 35-65 Healthy Non-smoker Recreationally active Exclusion Criteria: Any diagnosed metabolic impairment (e.g. type 1 or 2 Diabetes) Any diagnosed cardiovascular disease or hypertension Elevated blood pressure at the time of screening. (An average systolic blood pressure reading of ≥150mmHg over two or more measurements and an average diastolic blood pressure of ≥90mmHg over two or more measurements.) Chronic use of diabetic medication. A personal or family history of epilepsy, seizures or schizophrenia. Allergic to mycoprotein / Quorn, penicillin, or cow's milk. Any musculoskeletal injury that may impair their use of crutches. Any diagnosed severe digestive illness. Any diagnosed severe autoimmune disease. Any diagnosed cancer. Any metal fragments in the eyes, a pacemaker, or metal implants in the body that preclude MRI scanning.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Sport & Health Sciences University of Exeter
Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, United Kingdom
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University of Exeter, Sports & Health Sciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences
Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, United Kingdom
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