Ecklonia Cava Supplementation and Cycling Performance

NCT07611877 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 1501
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial (randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study) is to investigate whether supplementation with Ecklonia cava, a natural extract derived from brown seaweed, affects exercise performance and physiological responses in trained cyclists. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does Ecklonia cava supplementation improve cycling performance, including power output during steady-state exercise and short maximal sprints? Does Ecklonia cava supplementation influence physiological responses to exercise, such as blood glucose, blood lactate, heart rate, and oxygen consumption? Researchers will compare Ecklonia cava supplementation to a placebo (a look-alike substance with no active ingredients) to determine whether the supplement has any effect on performance or physiological responses. In this crossover design, all participants will receive both the Ecklonia cava supplement and the placebo on separate occasions, with a washout period between conditions. Participants will: Ingest either Ecklonia cava or a placebo 30 minutes before exercise testing Complete a 60-minute cycling protocol at a moderate intensity Perform repeated short-duration maximal sprint efforts following the steady-state exercise Attend laboratory testing sessions under both supplement and placebo conditions Undergo measurements of physiological responses, including blood glucose, blood lactate, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and respiratory exchange ratio Have exercise performance assessed through measures of power output during cycling

Conditions

Supplementation During Endurance Performance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Peak Power Output During Sprint Performance (Watts)

  Peak power output achieved during 20-second maximal sprint efforts performed following a fixed-intensity (55% Wmax) 60-minute cycling protocol

  Immediately after the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation

• Mean Power Output During Sprint Performance (Watts)

  Mean power output recorded during repeated 20-second maximal sprint efforts following steady-state cycling

  Immediately after the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation

• Blood Lactate Concentration During Sprint Cycling (mmol/L)

  Blood lactate concentration measured following each repeated sprint efforts (3)

  Repeated sprint cycling (3) completed immediately after the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, a blood sample taken 2 minutes after each sprint cycling bout. Following each 30-minute supplementation protocol.

• Blood Glucose Concentration During Sprint Cycling (mmol/L)

  Blood glucose concentration measured following repeated sprint efforts

  Repeated sprint cycling (3) completed immediately after the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, a blood sample taken 2 minutes after each sprint cycling bout. Following each 30-minute supplementation protocol.

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Heart Rate During Submaximal Cycling (beats per minute)

  During the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation (each condition)

• Blood Lactate Concentration During Submaximal Cycling (mmol/L)

  Every 20-minutes during the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation

• Blood Glucose Concentration During Submaximal Cycling (mmol/L)

  Every 20-minutes during the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation

• Oxygen Consumption (VO₂) During Submaximal Cycling (ml/kg/min)

  During the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation

• Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) During Submaximal Cycling

  During the 60-minute submaximal cycling protocol, 30 minutes after supplementation

Study Arms (2)

Placebo Supplementation

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Ecklonia Cava Supplementation

EXPERIMENTAL

Dietary Supplement: Supplement

Interventions

Placebo DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo Supplementation

Placebo Supplementation

Supplement DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Ecklonia Cava Supplementation

Ecklonia Cava Supplementation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• experienced in cycling (defined as completing at least four hours of cycle training per week with a minimum of two years of experience)

You may not qualify if:

• Smoker
• cardiovascular disease
• anti-hypertensive medication

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Exeter: lead
• Kingston University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Department of Applied and Human Sciences

Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2026
• First Posted: May 28, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: September 21, 2020
• Study Completion: December 2, 2020
• Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF

Locations

GB (1)