ObesityNCT06296511
The Influence of Acute Moderate-intensity Continuous Exercise on Appetite Regulation
A study testing Exercise in people with Obesity and Overweight, run by Loughborough University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
A key area of obesity research has focused on the link between appetite, energy balance and weight control. Within this area, several appetite-related hormones and cellular cytokines have been identified as key signals influencing appetite and food intake. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Obesity, Overweight
- What is being tested?
- Exercise
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 23 Jun 2023to 7 Nov 2023
- 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 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Body mass index between 18.5-24.9 kg/m²;
- Habitually consume three meals a day;
- Able to run continuously for 1 hour;
- Not currently dieting and weight stable for 3 months (< 3 kg change in weight);
- No severe dislike or allergy to any of the study food;
- Regular menstrual cycle in the past 6 months.
Who cannot join
- Smokers (vaping is considered smoking in this study);
- Individuals with medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart condition);
- Individuals taking medications that may influence the study outcomes;
- Individuals with clinically diagnosed eating disorders.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
A key area of obesity research has focused on the link between appetite, energy balance and weight control. Within this area, several appetite-related hormones and cellular cytokines have been identified as key signals influencing appetite and food intake. This includes the appetite-suppressing hormone oxyntomodulin (OXM) and a cellular stress-induced cytokine growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15).
The aims of this study are: (1) to investigate the effect of acute moderate-intensity continuous exercise on oxyntomodulin and GDF-15 concentrations; (2) to investigate whether exercise-induced changes in circulating OXM and GDF-15 concentrations are correlated with subjective appetite perceptions and subsequent energy intake.
Read the detailed description
Oxyntomodulin is thought to promote weight loss by suppressing appetite and energy intake and increasing energy expenditure. Acute exercise has been shown to increase the circulating concentration of satiety-related gut hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). However, the effect of acute exercise on OXM concentrations in individuals with healthy weight has not been investigated.
GDF-15 is a cellular stress-induced cytokine which has recently been shown to suppress appetite. A few studies have explored the effect of acute exercise on GDF-15 concentrations but the findings are conflicting. Some studies have shown that acute exercise, which provides a transient physiological stress, increased GDF-15 concentrations, but other studies have not found any influence of exercise on GDF-15 concentrations. In addition, whether post-exercise appetite perceptions and subsequent energy intake are influenced by exercise-related changes in OXM or GDF-15 concentrations remains unknown.
To explore the impact of acute moderate-intensity continuous exercise on OXM and GDF-15 levels, alongside subjective appetite perceptions and subsequent energy intake, all participants in this crossover study engaged in both exercise and control trials, with a minimum one-week interval between each.
During the exercise trial, participants were asked to arrive at the lab at 8.30 am, having fasted overnight for 10 hours (except plain water). Participants were asked to rest in the lab for 30 minutes. During the resting period, a cannula was positioned in the participants' arm and a mask was fitted on the face in the last five minutes of the rest to allow for the collection of exhaled air during exercise. After the resting period, participants were asked to exercise at an intensity of 70 percent of their peak oxygen uptake for an hour before resting in the lab for a further 2.5 hours. Venous blood samples were collected before (0 minutes) and after (60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 minutes) exercise and ad libitum energy intake was assessed 1 h after exercise completion. For the control trial, participants replicated all the procedures of the exercise trial except they rested for 1 h as the exercise counterpart.
- Conditions
- Obesity, Overweight
- Being tested
- Exercise
- Keywords
- Exercise, Appetite, Oxyntomodulin, Growth differentiation factor 15, GDF-15
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity, Overweight, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ExerciseBehavioural
60 min of treadmill exercise performed at 70% of peak oxygen uptake.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Experimental | Participants were asked to arrive at the lab at 8.30 am, having fasted overnight for 10 hours. After resting in the lab for 30 minutes, participants were asked to exercise at an intensity of 70 percent of their peak oxygen uptake for an hour before resting in the lab for a further 2.5 hours. Ad libitum energy intake was assessed 1 h after exercise completion. Receives: Behavioral: Exercise |
| Control | No intervention | Participants replicated all the procedures of the exercise trial except they rested for 1 h as the exercise counterpart. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Oxyntomodulin
(pmol/L)
Measured: Blood samples were collected for oxyntomodulin measurements at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.
Growth Differentiation Factor 15
(pg/mL)
Measured: Blood samples were collected for GDF-15 measurements at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Visual analogue score (VAS) for subjective appetite
Subjective appetite sensations were assessed using 100mm visual analogue scales to measure four appetite constructs: 'hunger', 'fullness,' 'desire to eat' and 'expected food intake'.
Measured: VAS was measured at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.
Energy intake
(kcal); participants were required to self-serve from a large bowl containing an amount of pasta in excess of expected consumption for 30 minutes and were instructed to stop eating when they reach volitional satiation. The remaining food was weighed and subtracted from the known quantity initially presented to calculate ad libitum energy intake.
Measured: Ad libitum pasta meal provided at 120 minutes.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Mar 2024
- Study start23 Jun 2023
- Primary completion7 Nov 2023
- Study completion7 Nov 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ObesityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Loughborough University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Professor David Stensel, Loughborough University
- Investigators
- David J Stensel, Principal investigator, Loughborough University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06296511
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Loughborough University
- Status last verified
- Feb 2024
- First submitted
- 29 Feb 2024
- Last updated
- 6 Mar 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Anonymised data will be made available to researchers upon request.
Publications
Jin Z, Li J, Thackray AE, King JA, Mould C, Stensel DJ. Effects of acute moderate-intensity continuous running on circulating oxyntomodulin concentrations in healthy men and women. Appetite. 2026 Jul 1;222:108541. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2026.108541. Epub 2026 Mar 13.
PubMed 41833829
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Mar 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Influence of Acute Moderate-intensity Continuous Exercise on Appetite Regulation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06296511
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Loughborough University
- Conditions
- Obesity, Overweight
- Keywords
- Exercise, Appetite, Oxyntomodulin, Growth differentiation factor 15, GDF-15
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Loughborough UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 23 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 7 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 7 Nov 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 6 Mar 2024 (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.
A key area of obesity research has focused on the link between appetite, energy balance and weight control. Within this area, several appetite-related hormones and cellular cytokines have been identified as key signals influencing appetite and food intake. This includes the appetite-suppressing hormone oxyntomodulin (OXM) and a cellular stress-induced cytokine growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15).
The aims of this study are: (1) to investigate the effect of acute moderate-intensity continuous exercise on oxyntomodulin and GDF-15 concentrations; (2) to investigate whether exercise-induced changes in circulating OXM and GDF-15 concentrations are correlated with subjective appetite perceptions and subsequent energy intake.
Detailed description
Oxyntomodulin is thought to promote weight loss by suppressing appetite and energy intake and increasing energy expenditure. Acute exercise has been shown to increase the circulating concentration of satiety-related gut hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). However, the effect of acute exercise on OXM concentrations in individuals with healthy weight has not been investigated.
GDF-15 is a cellular stress-induced cytokine which has recently been shown to suppress appetite. A few studies have explored the effect of acute exercise on GDF-15 concentrations but the findings are conflicting. Some studies have shown that acute exercise, which provides a transient physiological stress, increased GDF-15 concentrations, but other studies have not found any influence of exercise on GDF-15 concentrations. In addition, whether post-exercise appetite perceptions and subsequent energy intake are influenced by exercise-related changes in OXM or GDF-15 concentrations remains unknown.
To explore the impact of acute moderate-intensity continuous exercise on OXM and GDF-15 levels, alongside subjective appetite perceptions and subsequent energy intake, all participants in this crossover study engaged in both exercise and control trials, with a minimum one-week interval between each.
During the exercise trial, participants were asked to arrive at the lab at 8.30 am, having fasted overnight for 10 hours (except plain water). Participants were asked to rest in the lab for 30 minutes. During the resting period, a cannula was positioned in the participants' arm and a mask was fitted on the face in the last five minutes of the rest to allow for the collection of exhaled air during exercise. After the resting period, participants were asked to exercise at an intensity of 70 percent of their peak oxygen uptake for an hour before resting in the lab for a further 2.5 hours. Venous blood samples were collected before (0 minutes) and after (60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 minutes) exercise and ad libitum energy intake was assessed 1 h after exercise completion. For the control trial, participants replicated all the procedures of the exercise trial except they rested for 1 h as the exercise counterpart.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Experimental | Behavioral: ExerciseParticipants were asked to arrive at the lab at 8.30 am, having fasted overnight for 10 hours. After resting in the lab for 30 minutes, participants were asked to exercise at an intensity of 70 percent of their peak oxygen uptake for an hour before resting in the lab for a further 2.5 hours. Ad libitum energy intake was assessed 1 h after exercise completion. |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants replicated all the procedures of the exercise trial except they rested for 1 h as the exercise counterpart. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Body mass index between 18.5-24.9 kg/m²;
- Habitually consume three meals a day;
- Able to run continuously for 1 hour;
- Not currently dieting and weight stable for 3 months (< 3 kg change in weight);
- No severe dislike or allergy to any of the study food;
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Smokers (vaping is considered smoking in this study);
- Individuals with medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart condition);
- Individuals taking medications that may influence the study outcomes;
- Individuals with clinically diagnosed eating disorders.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise60 min of treadmill exercise performed at 70% of peak oxygen uptake. | Behavioural | Exercise |
Primary outcome
Oxyntomodulin
Time frame: Blood samples were collected for oxyntomodulin measurements at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.
(pmol/L)
Growth Differentiation Factor 15
Time frame: Blood samples were collected for GDF-15 measurements at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.
(pg/mL)
2 secondary outcomes
Visual analogue score (VAS) for subjective appetite
Time frame: VAS was measured at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.
Energy intake
Time frame: Ad libitum pasta meal provided at 120 minutes.
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 6 Mar 2024.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41833829Jin Z, Li J, Thackray AE, King JA, Mould C, Stensel DJ. Effects of acute moderate-intensity continuous running on circulating oxyntomodulin concentrations in healthy men and women. Appetite. 2026 Jul 1;222:108541. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2026.108541. Epub 2026 Mar 13.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Anonymised data will be made available to researchers upon request.
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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.
David J Stensel principal investigator
Loughborough University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exercise in people with Obesity and Overweight, run by Loughborough University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
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 4 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 6 Mar 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in 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?
Oxyntomodulin (time frame: Blood samples were collected for oxyntomodulin measurements at 0 (baseline), 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 minutes in each trial.). 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 NCT06296511, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 6 Mar 2024.