Effect of Resistance Exercise on Energy Balance and Appetite Regulation in Males and Females

NCT07444021 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 202412HM018
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

There is growing evidence that males and females may exhibit different acute responses and long-term adaptations to exercise training. Accordingly, contemporary exercise physiology research increasingly recognizes sex as an important biological variable that may influence appetite regulation and energy balance. This year's project aims to investigate: (1) appetite regulation and energy balance following acute resistance exercise, and (2) potential sex-based differences in appetite regulation and energy balance in response to resistance exercise. Understanding both the overall effects of resistance exercise and sex-related variability in these responses is important for improving the physiological interpretation of exercise-induced changes in appetite and energy balance. Such knowledge may help to reduce heterogeneity in exercise research findings and support the development of more precise, evidence-based exercise prescriptions that are applicable to both males and females.

Conditions

Energy Balance; Energy Expenditure; Males and Females; Resistance Exercise

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• Subjective appetite

  The appetite perceptions are obtained through a 0-100 mm visual analog scale. The variables assessed include perceptions of hunger (i.e., "How hungry do you feel?"), satisfaction (i.e., "How satisfied do you feel?"), fullness (i.e., "How full do you feel?"), prospective food consumption (i.e., "How much do you think you can eat?"), and nausea (i.e., "How nauseous do you feel?"), with 0 indicating "not at all" and 100 signifying "extremely.".

  3 hours during each study intervention

• Change in acyl-Ghrelin

  acyl-Ghrelin in pg/mL

  3 hours during each study intervention

• Change in PYY

  PYY in pg/mL

  3 hours during each study intervention

• Change in lactate

  lactate in mmol/L

  3 hours during each study intervention

• Energy intake

  Participants will be required to record their diet for the day before, the current day (include following exercise ad-libitum), and the day following the experiment. The energy intake include absolute energy intake and relative energy intake .

  The Before day, the durning day, and the day following the experiment.

• change in Cortisol

  Cortisol mcg/dL

  3 hours during each study intervention

• Energy expenditure

  Energy expenditure will include resting energy expenditure (REE), exercise energy expenditure, and non-exercise energy expenditure. REE will be measured using indirect calorimetry (MetaLyzer 3B; VO₂ and VCO₂ exchange). Exercise energy expenditure will be recorded during the resistance exercise session, and non-exercise energy expenditure will be assessed using an accelerometer. Total energy expenditure will be calculated as the sum of these components.

  The Before day, the durning day, and the day following the experiment.

• Energy Balance

  Energy balance will be calculated as total energy intake (EI) minus total energy expenditure (TEE). Total energy intake will include energy consumed during the laboratory ad-libitum meal and energy intake recorded outside the laboratory during the monitoring period. Total energy expenditure will include resting energy expenditure, exercise energy expenditure, and non-exercise energy expenditure, as previously described. Energy balance will be expressed in kilocalories (kcal), with positive values indicating energy surplus and negative values indicating energy deficit.

  The Before day, the durning day, and the day following the experiment.

Secondary Outcomes (13)

• Leeds food preference questionnaire

  3 hours during each study intervention

• Leeds food preference questionnaire

  3 hours during each study intervention

• 10 Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

  1-hour during each exercise intervention

• Heart rate (HR)

  3-hour during each study intervention

• Estradiol (E2)

  Baseline for each trial (female participants only).

Study Arms (4)

males

EXPERIMENTAL

Resistance exercises are in the following order: squat, bench press, deadlift. Each exercise consists of 3 sets with 7 repetitions, using a load of 70% 1RM with 120 sec of rest between sets.

Other: resistance exercise (males)

males control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants remained seated at rest during the control trial.

females exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

During the early follicular phase, participants performed resistance exercises in the following order: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Each exercise consisted of three sets of seven repetitions performed at 70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), with 120 s of rest between sets.

Other: resistance exercise (females)

females control

NO INTERVENTION

During the early follicular phase, participants remained seated at rest during the control trial.

Interventions

resistance exercise (males) OTHER

Resistance exercises are in the following order: squat, bench press, deadlift. Each exercise consists of 3 sets with 7 repetitions, using a load of 70% 1RM with 120 sec of rest between sets.

males

resistance exercise (females) OTHER

During the early follicular phase, participants completed a standardized resistance exercise protocol consisting of squat, bench press, and deadlift, performed in a fixed order. Each exercise comprised three sets of seven repetitions at 70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), with 120 s of rest between sets.

females exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy males and females aged 20-30 years
• Females with a regular menstrual cycle
• Stable body weight, defined as no significant change in body weight during the past 6 months
• Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Obesity, defined as:
• Body mass index (BMI) \> 30 kg/m²
• Body fat percentage \> 25% in males
• Body fat percentage \> 30% in females
• Hypertension, defined as resting blood pressure \> 140/90 mmHg
• History of cardiovascular disease
• History of cancer
• History of liver disease
• History of kidney disease
• Presence of any medical condition that may interfere with study outcomes

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Taiwan Normal University: lead

Study Sites (1)

National Taiwan Normal University

Taipei, 106, Taiwan

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Hung-wen Liu, Ph.D.

CONTACT

+886 0277496863; hwliu@ntnu.edu.tw

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 7, 2026
• First Posted: March 2, 2026
• Study Start: December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Last Updated: March 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations

TW (1)