Recruiting

EAA+

Sponsor:

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Code:

NCT07792603

Conditions

Healthy Women

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 25 - 45

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Essential Amino Acid+

Non-Calorie Placebo

High intensity Interval Training

No Exercise

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study evaluates the acute and chronic effects of an essential amino acid supplement (Daily Upgrade EAA+) on metabolomics, amino acid kinetics, metabolic rate, body composition in active adult women. The study consists of an acute randomized double-blind crossover phase comparing EAA+, whey protein isolate, and placebo before high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and a chronic randomized double-blind parallel-arm phase evaluating 3 weeks of EAA+ or placebo supplementation combined with twice-weekly HIIT.

Conditions

Healthy Women

Study ID

NCT07792603

Start date

Aug 31, 2026

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Apr, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Apr, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 25 - 45

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participant is an adult between the ages of 25-45 years
  • Participant has a recorded BMI between 18.5-30 kg/m\^2
  • Participant is apparently healthy and free from disease, as determined by a health history questionnaire
  • Participant is a biological female
  • Participant is naturally menstruating or uses a form of hormonal contraceptive
  • Participant is recreationally active, based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire- Short Form
  • Participant agrees to abstain from caffeine (12 hours), tobacco, alcohol, and exercise for 24 hours prior to testing days
  • Participant is willing and able to comply with the protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participant has been diagnosed with chronic heart disease, arrhythmias, thyroid disease, renal, hepatic, autoimmune or neurological diseases, as determined by a health history questionnaire.
  • Participant has a musculoskeletal disorder or injury that would prohibit them from being able to safely complete the study protocol.
  • Participant is currently enrolled in a separate clinical trial or weight loss program involving diet, exercise, physical activity, or the potential ingestion of an active drug or dietary supplement
  • Participant is using, or has consistently used one of the following dietary supplements within 1 month prior to enrollment: whey protein, creatine, essential amino acids
  • Participant has a known allergy or sensitivity to the placebo or active ingredients
  • Participant is pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  • Participant does not speak English or is hearing impaired

Study Design

Enrollment

44 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Other

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Essential Amino Acids+

Essential amino acids, creatine, magnesium, electrolytes consumed once (daily) with 8-12 oz of water.

placebo comparator: Placebo Comparator

Non-caloric placebo consumed once (daily) with 8-12 oz of water

active comparator: Whey Protein Isolate

1 serving whey protein isolate mixed with 8-12 oz of water

Interventions

Essential Amino Acid+

Daily supplementation of essential amino acids

Non-Calorie Placebo

Daily supplementation with non-caloric placebo

High intensity Interval Training

Twice weekly high intensity interval training for 3 weeks

No Exercise

No exercise

Primary outcome measure

  • Essential Amino Acid Kinetics [ Time Frame: Baseline, 30, 60, and 90 minutes following supplementation during acute visits. ]
  • Substrate Oxidation [ Time Frame: Before (0 min) and after (30, 60, 90 min) one session of high intensity interval training ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD

919-962-2574abbiesmith@unc.edu

Research Coordinator

919-962-1663aplresearch@unc.edu

Locations

Applied Physiology Laboratory

Recruiting

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599

Contacts

Research Coordinator

919-962-1663aplresearch@unc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Last update posted

Sep 3, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • Dietary Supplement
  • Exercise training
  • Amino Acid
  • Body composition

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on 2026-09-03.