Health BehaviorNCT06014307
SWAP-MEAT With Athletes for MC-URC: Three Diets on Athletic Performance
A study testing Diet order: PBMA, Animal and Diet order: Animal, PBMA in people with Health Behavior, run by Stanford University at 5 sites in 2 countries.
Trial summary
This study aims to investigate the impact of two plant-based diets-whole food plant-based (WFPB) and plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA)-vs. an omnivorous diet (Animal) on endurance and muscular strength in recreational athletes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Health Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Diet order: PBMA, Animal and Diet order: Animal, PBMA
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 41 participants
- Where
- 5 sitesin 2 countries
- Study dates
- 4 Oct 2023to 6 May 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 35 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Generally healthy omnivorous adults between 18 and 35 years of age who report typically consuming at least 1 serving of meat per day and are willing to consume ~2 servings per day of animal meat, plant-based meat alternatives, and whole-food plant proteins.
- Participants will have been consistent recreational runners or weightlifters (3-4 times per week) for at least the prior 1 year, and currently run or lift 3-4 times per week.
- Runners will engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. All participants will have habitually consumed an omnivorous diet for at least months.
- Participants will have self-reported good health and BMI 18.5-30.0.
- Participants must be able to commit to running or resistance training at least 3-4 times per week for the duration of the study.
- Participants will be on a Stanford meal plan which allows them access to the nine dining halls on the Stanford campus.
Who cannot join
- Individuals who have participated in any restrictive diet within the last month, have any known nutrient intolerances, have orthopedic limitations, are participating in any other physical activity or diet study;
- Individuals consuming any performance-enhancing drugs or medications known to interfere with athletic performance;
- Individuals who have a chronic disease or eating disorder, are currently pregnant or intend to become pregnant in the next three months, or have an intent to compete in any physical activity competition within the next 3 months.
Trial locations and contacts
5 sites in 2 countries.
5 sites in 2 countries
United States4 sites
UCLA
Los Angeles, California, 90095
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee, 37235
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901
Stanford University
Stanford, California, 94305
About this study
Official title: SWAP-MEAT (Study With Appetizing Plant-Food, Meat Eating Alternatives Trial) Athlete for MC-URC (Menus of Change University Research Collaborative): Three Diets on Athletic Performance
This study aims to investigate the impact of two plant-based diets-whole food plant-based (WFPB) and plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA)-vs. an omnivorous diet (Animal) on endurance and muscular strength in recreational athletes.
Read the detailed description
The SWAP-MEAT study compared the impact of consuming diets containing animal meat (primarily beef and pork) vs. plant-based alternative meats (Beyond Meat products) on health risk factors, cardiometabolic risk factors, and the gut microbiome in generally healthy adults. The SWAP-MEAT Athlete pilot study explored the impact of these diets on athletic performance instead of health biomarkers and cardiovascular disease.
The purpose of this study is to replicate the pilot study with the exception of using undergraduate students who have access to Stanford dining halls, rather than graduate students who have to buy and prepare their own food. It will be a 2x4-6 week randomized crossover trial that contains two arms: animal meat and plant-based alternative meat. Generally healthy recreational athletes will be recruited and complete athletic performance field tests at the end of each diet in order to assess athletic performance outcomes. From the SWAP-MEAT: Athlete pilot study, the investigators can attest to the feasibility of the trial and have justification for conducting this larger study.
This study will aim to focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) undergraduate students. By doing so, the investigators can gain a better understanding of the potential barriers and challenges to their adoption in diverse populations, for example, understanding of how cultural differences influence dietary choices and preconceptions about plant-based diets and animal protein alternatives. This study aims to address these limitations and provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of plant-based diets for recreational athletes, as well as potential barriers and challenges to their adoption in diverse populations.
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Being tested
- Diet order: PBMA, Animal, Diet order: Animal, PBMA
- Keywords
- muscular strength, endurance, plant-based diets, meat alternatives, omnivore diets
- Medical subject headings
- Health Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Diet order: PBMA, AnimalBehavioural
Participants will follow the PBMA, and Animal diets (in this order) for 4-6 weeks each.
Diet order: Animal, PBMABehavioural
Participants will follow the Animal, and PBMA diets (in this order) for 4-6 weeks each.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA) | Experimental | Up to 2 servings per day of plant-based meat alternatives (Beyond Beef, Impossible Burger, Gardein Chick'n) OR as many plant-based meat alternative servings as available per day in the dining halls. Receives: Behavioral: Diet order: PBMA, Animal; Behavioral: Diet order: Animal, PBMA |
| Animal | Experimental | 2 servings/day of traditional meat products (beef burger, pork, chicken) Receives: Behavioral: Diet order: PBMA, Animal; Behavioral: Diet order: Animal, PBMA |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Cooper 12-Minute Timed Run Test (Runners)
Change from baseline in distance covered on a 12-minute timed run after each diet phase
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Composite Machine Strength Index (Resistance Trainers)
Change from baseline in composite machine strength index (sum of 3-rep max chest press, leg press, biceps curls, and lat pull-down) after each diet phase
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Secondary outcomes (2)
Dietary intake and adherence
Nutrient composition of each diet and adherence to diet in servings of protein source consumed per week, via weekly dietary logs.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Diet satisfaction
Score on Food Acceptability Questionnaire, measuring taste, appeal, and overall diet satisfaction, after each diet. We used the "Food Acceptability Questionnaire", with a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 7. A higher score indicates better food acceptability.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Aug 2023
- Study start4 Oct 2023
- Primary completion6 May 2024
- Study completion6 May 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Health BehaviorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Stanford UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- SWAP-MEAT Athlete is a randomized crossover trial in which 10 recreational runners and 10 recreational resistance trainers are assigned to one of six possible diet orders. Each diet order contains three phases for 4 to 6 weeks each (4 weeks for universities on the quarter system; 6 weeks for universities on the semester system) -Animal, Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA), and Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB)-in random order.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Christopher Gardner, Stanford University
- Investigators
- Christopher D Gardner, PhD, Principal investigator, Stanford University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06014307
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 69487
- Status last verified
- Jun 2024
- First submitted
- 23 Aug 2023
- Last updated
- 21 Jun 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Crimarco A, Springfield S, Petlura C, Streaty T, Cunanan K, Lee J, Fielding-Singh P, Carter MM, Topf MA, Wastyk HC, Sonnenburg ED, Sonnenburg JL, Gardner CD. A randomized crossover trial on the effect of plant-based compared with animal-based meat on trimethylamine-N-oxide and cardiovascular disease risk factors in generally healthy adults: Study With Appetizing Plantfood-Meat Eating Alternative Trial (SWAP-MEAT). Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Nov 11;112(5):1188-1199. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa203.
PubMed 32780794Roberts AK, Busque V, Robinson JL, Landry MJ, Gardner CD. SWAP-MEAT Athlete (study with appetizing plant-food, meat eating alternatives trial) - investigating the impact of three different diets on recreational athletic performance: a randomized crossover trial. Nutr J. 2022 Nov 16;21(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s12937-022-00820-x.
PubMed 36384651Raygoza C, Roberts A, Guidetti A, Cai O, Sangowdar P, Muriuki EN, Laverick-Johnson H, Sanguinetti G, Smith E, Fammartino A, Robinson J, Lee E, Policastro P, Mills C, Kuhnle G, Svennevik E, Gardner C. Plant-Based vs. Omnivore diets for athletic performance outcomes among recreational athletes in university dining halls: a randomized crossover study. Nutr J. 2026 Feb 20;25(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s12937-026-01290-1.
PubMed 41715155
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Jun 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- SWAP-MEAT (Study With Appetizing Plant-Food, Meat Eating Alternatives Trial) Athlete for MC-URC (Menus of Change University Research Collaborative): Three Diets on Athletic Performance
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06014307
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 69487
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Keywords
- muscular strength, endurance, plant-based diets, meat alternatives, omnivore diets
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 4 Oct 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 6 May 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 6 May 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 28 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to investigate the impact of two plant-based diets-whole food plant-based (WFPB) and plant-based meat alternatives (PBMA)-vs. an omnivorous diet (Animal) on endurance and muscular strength in recreational athletes.
Detailed description
The SWAP-MEAT study compared the impact of consuming diets containing animal meat (primarily beef and pork) vs. plant-based alternative meats (Beyond Meat products) on health risk factors, cardiometabolic risk factors, and the gut microbiome in generally healthy adults. The SWAP-MEAT Athlete pilot study explored the impact of these diets on athletic performance instead of health biomarkers and cardiovascular disease.
The purpose of this study is to replicate the pilot study with the exception of using undergraduate students who have access to Stanford dining halls, rather than graduate students who have to buy and prepare their own food. It will be a 2x4-6 week randomized crossover trial that contains two arms: animal meat and plant-based alternative meat. Generally healthy recreational athletes will be recruited and complete athletic performance field tests at the end of each diet in order to assess athletic performance outcomes. From the SWAP-MEAT: Athlete pilot study, the investigators can attest to the feasibility of the trial and have justification for conducting this larger study.
This study will aim to focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) undergraduate students. By doing so, the investigators can gain a better understanding of the potential barriers and challenges to their adoption in diverse populations, for example, understanding of how cultural differences influence dietary choices and preconceptions about plant-based diets and animal protein alternatives. This study aims to address these limitations and provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of plant-based diets for recreational athletes, as well as potential barriers and challenges to their adoption in diverse populations.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- SWAP-MEAT Athlete is a randomized crossover trial in which 10 recreational runners and 10 recreational resistance trainers are assigned to one of six possible diet orders. Each diet order contains three phases for 4 to 6 weeks each (4 weeks for universities on the quarter system; 6 weeks for universities on the semester system) -Animal, Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA), and Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB)-in random order.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA) | Experimental | Behavioral: Diet order: PBMA, Animal, Behavioral: Diet order: Animal, PBMAUp to 2 servings per day of plant-based meat alternatives (Beyond Beef, Impossible Burger, Gardein Chick'n) OR as many plant-based meat alternative servings as available per day in the dining halls. |
| Animal | Experimental | Behavioral: Diet order: PBMA, Animal, Behavioral: Diet order: Animal, PBMA2 servings/day of traditional meat products (beef burger, pork, chicken) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Generally healthy omnivorous adults between 18 and 35 years of age who report typically consuming at least 1 serving of meat per day and are willing to consume ~2 servings per day of animal meat, plant-based meat alternatives, and whole-food plant proteins.
- Participants will have been consistent recreational runners or weightlifters (3-4 times per week) for at least the prior 1 year, and currently run or lift 3-4 times per week.
- Runners will engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. All participants will have habitually consumed an omnivorous diet for at least months.
- Participants will have self-reported good health and BMI 18.5-30.0.
- Participants must be able to commit to running or resistance training at least 3-4 times per week for the duration of the study.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Individuals who have participated in any restrictive diet within the last month, have any known nutrient intolerances, have orthopedic limitations, are participating in any other physical activity or diet study;
- Individuals consuming any performance-enhancing drugs or medications known to interfere with athletic performance;
- Individuals who have a chronic disease or eating disorder, are currently pregnant or intend to become pregnant in the next three months, or have an intent to compete in any physical activity competition within the next 3 months.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Diet order: PBMA, AnimalParticipants will follow the PBMA, and Animal diets (in this order) for 4-6 weeks each. | Behavioural | Animal, Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA) |
| Diet order: Animal, PBMAParticipants will follow the Animal, and PBMA diets (in this order) for 4-6 weeks each. | Behavioural | Animal, Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA) |
Primary outcome
Cooper 12-Minute Timed Run Test (Runners)
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Change from baseline in distance covered on a 12-minute timed run after each diet phase
Composite Machine Strength Index (Resistance Trainers)
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Change from baseline in composite machine strength index (sum of 3-rep max chest press, leg press, biceps curls, and lat pull-down) after each diet phase
2 secondary outcomes
Dietary intake and adherence
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Diet satisfaction
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Jun 2024.
- Background: PubMed 32780794Crimarco A, Springfield S, Petlura C, Streaty T, Cunanan K, Lee J, Fielding-Singh P, Carter MM, Topf MA, Wastyk HC, Sonnenburg ED, Sonnenburg JL, Gardner CD. A randomized crossover trial on the effect of plant-based compared with animal-based meat on trimethylamine-N-oxide and cardiovascular disease risk factors in generally healthy adults: Study With Appetizing Plantfood-Meat Eating Alternative Trial (SWAP-MEAT). Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Nov 11;112(5):1188-1199. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa203.
- Background: PubMed 36384651Roberts AK, Busque V, Robinson JL, Landry MJ, Gardner CD. SWAP-MEAT Athlete (study with appetizing plant-food, meat eating alternatives trial) - investigating the impact of three different diets on recreational athletic performance: a randomized crossover trial. Nutr J. 2022 Nov 16;21(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s12937-022-00820-x.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41715155Raygoza C, Roberts A, Guidetti A, Cai O, Sangowdar P, Muriuki EN, Laverick-Johnson H, Sanguinetti G, Smith E, Fammartino A, Robinson J, Lee E, Policastro P, Mills C, Kuhnle G, Svennevik E, Gardner C. Plant-Based vs. Omnivore diets for athletic performance outcomes among recreational athletes in university dining halls: a randomized crossover study. Nutr J. 2026 Feb 20;25(1):42. doi: 10.1186/s12937-026-01290-1.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Christopher D Gardner, PhD principal investigator
Stanford University
5 sites in 2 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Diet order: PBMA, Animal and Diet order: Animal, PBMA in people with Health Behavior, run by Stanford University at 5 sites in 2 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jun 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 5 sites in United States, United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Cooper 12-Minute Timed Run Test (Runners) (time frame: Baseline, Week 4 or Week 6). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06014307, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Jun 2024.