RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Skeletal Muscle Adaptations to Peptide-Supplemented Resistance Exercise Training

This study aims to find out if a specific daily food supplement can help healthy people aged 18-35 build more muscle and strength when doing regular weight training. Muscles are important for everyday life and overall health. While we know protein supplements like whey can help, this research focuses on a new combination of ingredients found in whey and other foods. We'll compare people taking the supplement with those taking a dummy pill (placebo) to see if there's a greater improvement in muscle size and strength, and how this happens at a detailed level. This could help us understand better ways to maximise muscle growth from exercise.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

University of Birmingham

Enrolment target

Start

14 Jul 2026

Estimated completion

01 Dec 2027

Supplement Resistance Training Adaptation

What is this study about?

Our muscles are really important for many things, like moving around, keeping our blood sugar healthy, and protecting us from falls. When we do regular weight training, our muscles usually get bigger and stronger. This happens because weight training helps our bodies make new muscle protein, which leads to muscle growth. Many people use protein supplements, like whey protein, to help with this process.

This study is looking at a new combination of ingredients, including specific parts of whey protein and other natural foods, which are thought to be very good at helping muscles grow. We want to see if taking this special supplement every day, alongside a weight training programme, can make muscles grow even more and get stronger than just doing weight training alone. We will compare this new supplement to a 'dummy pill' (called a placebo) that has no active ingredients.

To understand exactly what's happening, we'll also collect some small muscle samples and blood samples. This will help us learn how the supplement might work inside your body to improve muscle growth and strength. The goal is to find out if this combination of ingredients is a more effective way to help healthy young adults aged 18-35 maximise their muscle gains from exercise.

Key takeaways

This study explores a new supplement to boost muscle growth and strength.
It combines daily supplementation with a weight training programme.
Compares the new supplement to a dummy pill (placebo).
Looks at how muscles change at a detailed level.
Aimed at healthy, active adults aged 18-35 who don't currently do weight training.
Involves assessments like scans, strength tests, and small muscle samples.

Who may be eligible?

This study is looking for healthy men and women aged between 18 and 35 years old. To take part, you should be within a healthy weight range (your BMI will be checked) and currently meet the UK guidelines for physical activity, meaning you're already quite active. However, it's important that you haven't been doing structured weight training regularly in the past six months, as we want to see how the supplement affects new muscle growth.

You should be generally healthy and not have any conditions that might affect your muscles or digestion, like diabetes or certain thyroid problems. We also can't include you if you have any allergies to the ingredients in the supplement or placebo (such as beans or corn), or if you've used other muscle-affecting supplements like creatine in the last month.

We also can't include people who smoke or vape, have certain breathing conditions like asthma, are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or using hormone therapies (except for birth control). You also shouldn't have any injuries or weaknesses that would stop you from doing full-body weight training.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you between 18 and 35 years old?
Do you meet UK physical activity guidelines (e.g., 150 mins moderate exercise/week)?
Are you generally healthy and free from major medical conditions?
Have you NOT been doing regular weight training in the last 6 months?
Do you have no known allergies to common supplement ingredients (e.g., beans, corn)?
Are you a non-smoker/vaper and not pregnant or breastfeeding?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you take part in this study, you'll be doing a regular weight training programme. You'll also take a daily supplement, which will either be the active supplement or a dummy pill (placebo). Neither you nor the researchers will know which one you're taking until the end of the study.

Over the course of the study, we'll ask you to come in for several assessments. These will include a special body scan called a DEXA scan to measure your muscle and bone, tests to see how strong your legs are, and measurements of your muscle thickness using ultrasound. You'll also be asked to complete a food diary for three days to help us understand your diet. To look at the detailed effects, you'll have small muscle samples and blood samples taken before and after the training period. The total duration of your participation, including all training and assessments, will be explained fully if you join.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study could offer several potential benefits. You will receive a structured weight training programme designed to improve your muscle strength and size, potentially benefiting from a new supplement, and you'll receive detailed information about your body composition from scans and muscle health from the samples. There are some potential risks, such as discomfort or soreness from the exercise training, the small risk associated with blood draws (like bruising), and the muscle biopsies (which are minor procedures but can cause some temporary discomfort). All procedures will be performed by trained professionals. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your medical care.

Locations (1)

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham
Verified postcode
Birmingham, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What is a 'placebo'?

A placebo is a 'dummy pill' that looks exactly like the real supplement but contains no active ingredients. It helps us fairly compare the effects of the actual supplement.

What kind of exercises will I be doing?

You will be doing a structured programme of resistance exercise training, commonly known as weightlifting or strength training, designed to work your whole body.

Will I know if I'm getting the real supplement or the placebo?

No, this is a 'blinded' study, meaning neither you nor the research team will know if you're taking the active supplement or the placebo until the study is finished. This helps ensure fair results.

What is a DEXA scan?

A DEXA scan is a quick, low-dose X-ray that measures your body composition, including how much muscle, fat, and bone you have. It's a common and safe procedure.

What is 'muscle sampling'?

Muscle sampling (or biopsy) involves taking a very tiny piece of muscle, usually from your leg, using a special needle after numbing the area. It's a minor procedure that helps us understand changes within the muscle itself.

How to find out more

Nathan Hodson, PhD

n.w.hodson@bham.ac.uk 07526146514 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.