NCT04671797

Brief Summary

This study examines the acute impact of eating an "early" versus "late" dinner. "Early" and "late" will be customized to individuals based on the individuals' own circadian rhythms. Healthy adults will have the adults' circadian rhythm assessed by measuring the adults' dim light melatonin onset (DLMO). Based on the timing of DLMO, participants will be randomized to eating dinner before DLMO or after DLMO. The investigators will also compare the effects of delaying sleep relative to dinner time. Participants will eat meals in the laboratory and have serial plasma samples collected to examine profiles of free fatty acids, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and oxidation of dietary fat.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
41

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable healthy

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2021

Longer than P75 for not_applicable healthy

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

December 11, 2020

Completed
6 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

December 17, 2020

Completed
29 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 15, 2021

Completed
4.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 19, 2025

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

June 19, 2025

Completed
Last Updated

February 4, 2026

Status Verified

February 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

4.4 years

First QC Date

December 11, 2020

Last Update Submit

February 2, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

healthy volunteersfat oxidationsleepcircadianglucose

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change in Glucose (mg/dl)

    Serial blood samples taken during visit, 25 samples taken over 25 hours (One every hour) per visit.

    Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (6)

  • Change in Free Fatty Acids (FFA, mmol/L)

    Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks

  • Change in Insulin (mcU/ml)

    Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks

  • Change in Triglycerides (mg/dl)

    Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks

  • Change in Oxidation of palmitate (percent of isotope enrichment)

    Baseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks

  • Change in melatonin [Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO)]

    At 2 weeks prior to baseline (samples drawn every 30 minutes, up to 7 hours)

  • +1 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (3)

Early Dinner first

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be served dinner and a stable isotope of palmitate to measure fat oxidation, at an early dinner time (DLMO-3h) followed by a sleep study (DLMO+2h). This arm will cross-over to the other 2 arms in random order.

Behavioral: Early dinnerBehavioral: Late DinnerBehavioral: Late Dinner + Late Sleep

Late Dinner first

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be served dinner and a stable isotope of palmitate to measure fat oxidation, at a late dinner time (DLMO+1h) followed by a sleep study (DLMO+2h). This arm will cross-over to the other 2 arms in random order.

Behavioral: Early dinnerBehavioral: Late DinnerBehavioral: Late Dinner + Late Sleep

Late Dinner + Late Sleep first

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be served dinner and a stable isotope of palmitate to measure fat oxidation, at a late dinner time (DLMO+1h) followed by delayed bedtime (DLMO+6h). This arm will cross-over to the other 2 arms in random order.

Behavioral: Early dinnerBehavioral: Late DinnerBehavioral: Late Dinner + Late Sleep

Interventions

Early dinnerBEHAVIORAL

Dinner at DLMO-3, sleep at DLMO+2

Early Dinner firstLate Dinner + Late Sleep firstLate Dinner first
Late DinnerBEHAVIORAL

Dinner at DLMO+1, sleep at DLMO+2

Early Dinner firstLate Dinner + Late Sleep firstLate Dinner first

Dinner at DLMO+1, sleep at DLMO+6

Early Dinner firstLate Dinner + Late Sleep firstLate Dinner first

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 30 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Healthy male and female adult volunteers, age 18-30
  • BMI 18-30 kg/m2
  • Accustomed to a bedtime before 1:00 A.M. or having mid-sleep on free days (MSF) earlier than 5 A.M. from the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) (to exclude extreme late chronotypes)
  • Sleep disorder including insomnia, sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorder, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease that affects ability to tolerate a dinner close to bed time.
  • Chronic use of sedative hypnotics, anxiolytics, opiates
  • Use of medications that can affect circadian rhythm (beta blockers, melatonin)
  • Active smoking (may interfere with metabolism and Clinical Research Unit (CRU) activities)
  • Diabetes (type 1 or 2)
  • HbA1c point of care \>= 6.5%
  • Kidney disease
  • Any known history of an inherited metabolic disorder
  • Pregnant or lactating female (pregnancy test will be required)
  • Professional or collegiate athlete
  • Travel across \>1 time zone within a 3-month period before and during the protocol
  • +1 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Gu C, Brereton N, Schweitzer A, Cotter M, Duan D, Borsheim E, Wolfe RR, Pham LV, Polotsky VY, Jun JC. Metabolic Effects of Late Dinner in Healthy Volunteers-A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Aug 1;105(8):2789-802. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa354.

    PMID: 32525525BACKGROUND

Related Links

Study Officials

  • Jonathan Jun, MD

    Johns Hopkins University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
CROSSOVER
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

December 11, 2020

First Posted

December 17, 2020

Study Start

January 15, 2021

Primary Completion

June 19, 2025

Study Completion

June 19, 2025

Last Updated

February 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

We will provide raw data (without identifying information) to journals or other researchers upon request.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
Time Frame
The data will be provided upon request within 1 year after publication and will be available to indefinitely.
Access Criteria
The PI will accept requests from other researchers who are examining pertinent outcomes.

Locations