Insect vs Animal Protein for Building Muscle

NCT07159919 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: GAINZ
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This research is being carried out to investigate the potential of insects (crickets) as a sustainable protein source for supporting human muscle tissue by comparing cricket protein to a commonly used animal protein (whey). Insects have been used as protein source for many years in East-Asian and African cultures. More recently the interest in this potential protein source has been growing in Western countries due to the negative environmental impact of producing animal foods and the increased awareness of animal welfare issues in the food chain. Insects are a more sustainable protein source, requiring less land, water and feed, and producing less carbon emissions (greenhouse gases) compared to farming livestock (e.g. cows, pigs, chickens etc.) However, up until now there is no clear evidence that insect-derived protein has the same nutritional properties as animal-derived protein. Recent data from our research group indicates that there appears to be no difference in the digestibility of an insect protein compared to a traditional animal protein amongst younger, middle-aged and older adults. The investigators now want to explore the potential of insect protein to increase muscle mass and strength.

Conditions

Cricket Protein; Whey Protein

Keywords

Insect protein; Sustainable nutrition; Alternative protein; Muscle anabolism; Body composition; Strength; Muscle mass; Resistance training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Anabolic signalling

  Changes in mTORC1 signalling in skeletal muscle from baseline to post-prandial following cricket or whey protein ingestion after exercise

  From baseline measurement to 6 hours later

• Muscle mass

  Changes in lean mass following 12 weeks of daily consumption of cricket or whey protein in conjunction with regular resistance training

  From baseline measures at enrolment to the end of the training and supplementation period at 12 weeks

• Muscle strength

  Changes in muscular strength following 12 weeks of daily consumption of cricket or whey protein in conjunction with regular resistance training

  From baseline measures at enrolment to the end of the training and supplementation period at 12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Cricket protein

EXPERIMENTAL

Group consuming cricket protein

Dietary Supplement: protein supplement

Whey protein

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Group consuming whey protein

Dietary Supplement: protein supplement

Interventions

protein supplement DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Cricket protein incorporated into a whole-food source (dough balls) to be consumed once after an acute bout of resistance exercise and then consumed daily for 12 weeks alongside regular resistance training.

Also known as: Cricket protein

Cricket protein

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adult males and females in general good health (aged 18+)
• BMI between 18.5 and 35 kg/m2
• Weight stable for 3 months (± 2 kg)
• Volunteers must be able and willing to give informed written consent
• Volunteers must be willing to provide blood and muscle tissue samples
• Volunteers must have been resistance training at least 3x per week for a minimum of 2 years
• Volunteers must be willing to follow a resistance training programme and consume a daily protein supplement for 12 weeks
• Not allergic to local anaesthetic

You may not qualify if:

• Injury or illness that prevents the adherence to 12 weeks resistance training and protein supplementation
• Those with metabolic conditions such as diabetes
• Those taking nutritional ergogenic aids (e.g. creatine, beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, dietary nitrate etc.)
• Those smoking, using nicotine products (e.g., e-cigarettes, patches) or not abstained from these activities for more than 6 months
• Pregnant or lactating (those who become pregnant during this study must notify the researchers immediately and the participant will be removed)
• Volunteers with a habitual caffeine intake \>400 mg/day (more than 5 cups standard coffee)
• Drug or alcohol abuse in the last 2 years
• Those who are taking performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) or have previously taken PEDs in the previous 10 years
• Those who do not refrain from alcohol, caffeine containing drinks (e.g., coffee, coca cola, tea, Red Bull) and strenuous exercise 12 hours before the phase 1 visit
• Those with food allergies
• Those following weight loss diets
• Those who are vegan, vegetarian or refrain from dairy/egg consumption

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Surrey: lead
• Aberystwyth University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Surrey, Stag Hill Campus

Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Aragon, A., Schoenfeld, B. Magnitude and Composition of the Energy Surplus for Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: Implications for Bodybuilding and Physique Athletes. Strength and Conditioning Journal 42(5):p 79-86, October 2020.

  BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Interventions

capsid protein, Cricket paralysis virus; Whey Proteins

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Milk Proteins; Animal Proteins, Dietary; Dietary Proteins; Proteins; Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins; Whey; Milk; Dairy Products; Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages

Study Officials

• Ralph Manders, PhD

  University of Surrey

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

James AG Rutherford, MSc

CONTACT

+447540435440; j.rutherford@surrey.ac.uk

Ralph Manders, PhD

CONTACT

+441483 688668; r.manders@surrey.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2025
• First Posted: September 8, 2025
• Study Start: November 29, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)