Time-of-Day Effects of Fasted Exercise on Energy Intake

Launched by TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH · Apr 24, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking to understand how the time of day affects the amount of food people eat after exercising on an empty stomach. Researchers want to see if exercising in the morning or evening impacts how much energy (or calories) people consume during a meal right after exercising and over the next 24 hours. They will also measure how participants feel about their hunger before, right after, and half an hour after exercising.

To participate, individuals should be healthy men and women aged 18 to 30 with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30.0. They should have stable weight (not more than a 2.5 kg change in the last three months) and be able to exercise vigorously for 30 minutes. However, individuals who are pregnant, breastfeeding, smokers, or have a history of eating disorders or certain medical conditions that affect appetite cannot join. Women of childbearing age will need to be on hormonal contraceptives to help keep hormone levels steady during the study. Participants can expect to complete three exercise sessions at different times of the day and share their feelings about hunger and fullness during the study.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • BMI of 18.5.0-30.0 kg/m2
• • weight stability (≤2.5 kg weight change during the past 3 months)
• • ability to exercise at a vigorous intensity for 30 minutes
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • pregnancy or breastfeeding
• • smoking
• • history of or current eating disorders
• • medical condition or use of medication that could affect appetite or pose any contraindications to exercise
• • As the menstrual cycle can cause fluctuations in food cravings and appetite, women of childbearing age were only eligible if they used hormonal contraceptives. To ensure constant exposure to exogenous estrogen and progestin throughout the study phase, participating women were further asked to use active hormone pills throughout the study period in both studies, a practice that is considered both safe and efficacious.
• • -