Acute Metabolic Effects of Carbohydrate Restriction at Varying Energy Levels

University of Surrey

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Other: LC25 Diet, followed for 36 hours; Other: LCEB Diet, followed for 36 hours; Other: nEB Diet, followed for 36 hours

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06387940

UEC 2019 008 FHMS

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates how different low-carbohydrate diets affect metabolism and hunger in overweight adults. We will measure metabolic rates and blood metabolites.

Full description

Participants will engage in three distinct eating plans: a standard diet with usual carbohydrate and calorie levels, a low-carb diet with typical calories, and a low-carb diet with reduced calories. Each diet is followed for a single day, with subsequent monitoring to assess how the body processes food and manages hunger after a meal. The goal is to understand the potential metabolic benefits of reducing carbohydrate intake, either alone or in combination with calorie reduction. This research aims to identify simpler dietary strategies that could improve heart health and assist in weight management without the need for severe calorie restriction or fasting, offering valuable insights for enhancing health outcomes in overweight individuals.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• stable weight within ±3 kg over the past three months
• no significant medical history.

Exclusion criteria

• pregnancy
• breastfeeding,
• using medications that could affect the study's outcomes
• high intake of caffeine and alcohol
• existing eating or psychiatric disorders
• adherence to strict dietary regimens like veganism
• high BMI resulting from significant muscle mass

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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12 participants in 3 patient groups

normal carbohydrate, energy-balanced diet, (nEB)

Active Comparator group

Description:

provided participants' 100% daily energy needs, following the balanced Eatwell Guide recommendations.

Treatment:

Other: nEB Diet, followed for 36 hours

low-carbohydrate, energy-balanced diet, (LCEB)

Active Comparator group

Description:

diet contained just 50g of carbohydrates but still met 100% of the participants' estimated daily energy needs.

Treatment:

Other: LCEB Diet, followed for 36 hours

low-carbohydrate, energy-restricted diet, (LC25)

Active Comparator group

Description:

The diet consisted of only 50g of carbohydrates and provided 25% of the estimated daily energy needs.

Treatment:

Other: LC25 Diet, followed for 36 hours