Can a berry extract shield Athletes' immune systems after intense exercise?
NCT ID NCT07829523
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers are testing whether an 8-week course of aronia berry extract changes how the immune system and gut respond to high-intensity exercise in trained male football players. Forty participants receive either the extract or a placebo, and blood samples are taken before, right after, and one hour after exercise testing. The study measures markers of gut leakage and immune cell activation to see if the supplement makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Aronia melanocarpa (chokeberry) extract capsules
- What this could lead to
- If aronia extract blunts the immune and gut-leakage response to hard training, it could point toward a simple dietary supplement that helps athletes recover and stay healthy during intense exercise.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, 40-person study in healthy young male football players, so any effect may be modest and may not apply to other athletes, women, or older adults. Supplements often fail to show a benefit over placebo in controlled trials.
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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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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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16 to 35 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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: * Male participants aged 16-35 years. * Regularly training football players. * Healthy and medically eligible to participate in the exercise testing. * Willingness to comply with the study procedures and pre-test instructions. Exclusion Criteria: * Use of antibiotics, metformin, probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics within the 3 months preceding enrollment. * Vegan diet. * Regular gut-training practices. * Gastrointestinal infection. * Other significant diseases that, in the opinion of the study physician, may affect eligibility for participation.
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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.
How to take part
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
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