Sitting around could make you hungrier, study suggests

NCT ID NCT06240208

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Rigshospitalet, Denmark Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at what happens to appetite when physically active men aged 40-55 suddenly become inactive for two weeks. Forty healthy, normal-weight men who bike or exercise regularly will either keep their routine or cut steps to under 1,500 per day. Researchers will measure how much they eat and their food cravings to see if inactivity messes with appetite control.

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 it works, this could help explain why inactivity makes people eat more, pointing to ways to prevent weight gain.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study in healthy men only, so results may not apply to everyone. It looks at short-term changes, not long-term effects.

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 40 people

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

Started

Mar 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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

40 to 55 years

Sex

Male participants only

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: 1. Male 2. Age ≥ 40 years and ≤ 55 years 3. Body mass index (BMI) \> 20 and \< 25 kg/m2 4. Physical activity level should as a minimum include: Active commuting by biking a minimum of 10 km, four days per week or an equivalent amount of other physical activity four days per week. 5. Healthy (based on self-reporting, pre-study medical examination and biochemical screening) 6. Can adhere to two weeks of inactivity (refrain from running, cycling and all other exercise while reducing steps to max. 1500 pr. day) 7. Caucasian 8. No change in body weight \> 5 kg within the last 6 months 9. Eats breakfast and lunch daily 10. Does not follow specific dietary restrictions 11. No disliking of spaghetti bolognese 12. No diagnosis of psychiatric disorder or treatment with anti-depressant or anti-psychotic medication 13. No history of suicidal behavior or ideations. 14. No previous surgical treatment for obesity 15. No cardiovascular disease 16. No rheumatologic disease 17. No metabolic/endocrine disease 18. No liver disease (ASAT or ALAT \>2x upper normal range) 19. No other chronic disease 20. No elite sports 21. No frequent or chronic use of medications affecting bodyweight, physical performance, or inflammation (NSAIDS, DMARDS, corticosteroids) 22. No current infection 23. No history of cancer 24. No anemia (hematocrit \<33%) 25. No smoking 26. No participation in other research intervention studies Exclusion Criteria: 1. Clinical or biochemical signs of disease 2. HbA1c \> 39 mmol/mol 3. Unable to allocate the needed time to fulfill the intervention 4. Language barrier, mental incapacity, unwillingness, or inability to understand and be able to complete the interventions

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Overweight

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Overweight

How to take part

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

The places running it

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

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.

Sitting around could make you hungrier, study suggests

What the study statuses mean