Biological Rhythms in Human Skeletal Muscle II

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Effect of Nutrient Delivery Pattern on Biological Rhythms in Human Skeletal Muscle

  • IRAS ID

    248579

  • Contact name

    James Betts

  • Contact email

    J.Betts@bath.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Bath

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    4 years, 0 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    Our bodies are controlled by a timing system to ensure different tissues work together at the correct times. Two main organs that use bodily fuels are muscle and fat. Recent studies show that a rhythm in these tissues repeats every 24 hours. Human health depends on lifestyle choices involving diet and physical activity yet few previous studies have explored how the timing of of meals and periods of inactivity may relate to the rhythms that we have found in muscle and fat. We are especially interested to compare the differences between lots of smaller meals that provide energy constantly and fewer larger meals that provide energy at separate times of the day.
    This study will therefore involve 16-24 healthy adults being randomly split into one of 2 groups. All groups will involve resting in our laboratory over 2 days and will have their resting energy and nutritional requirements individually met by infusing a meal-replacement liquid through a feeding tube passed thorough the nose. In one group this will be done constantly over 24 hours and in another group the nutrients will be infused in two 15 minute doses at 0800 and 2000 (with plain water infused between those times). Muscle and fat samples will be collected every 4 hours and blood samples every hour for an entire day.

  • REC name

    South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/SW/0176

  • Date of REC Opinion

    16 Nov 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion