Effect of Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate Supplementation on Muscle Damage and Inflammatory Plasma Markers During a Football Tournament: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

NCT07765719 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: PID2019-111368RB-I00IDI-20200562
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 51
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluated the safety and potential beneficial effects of a beverage containing chickpea protein hydrolysate in football players. Participants received the chickpea protein hydrolysate beverage and a matched protein-containing placebo beverage during two four-week intervention periods separated by a two-week washout period. The study assessed biochemical safety parameters, antioxidant status, inflammatory biomarkers, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, muscle damage markers, dietary intake, and body composition.

Conditions

Post-Exercise Recovery

Keywords

Chickpea protein hydrolysate; Plant protein hydrolysate; Bioactive peptides; Football players; Exercise-induced muscle damage; Oxidative stress; Inflammation; Sports nutrition; Protein supplementation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (15)

• Number of Participants With Adverse Events During Each Intervention Period

  The number of participants reporting one or more adverse events during consumption of the chickpea protein hydrolysate beverage or the maltodextrin placebo beverage was recorded. Adverse events included any unfavorable symptom or clinical event reported by a participant or identified by the research team during the intervention periods.

  During the first 4-week intervention period and the second 4-week intervention period, up to Week 10

• Change in Circulating Interleukin-6 Concentration

  Interleukin-6 concentration was measured using a commercial immunoassay.

  Baseline and Weeks 4, 6, 10, and 12; the primary crossover comparison used the phase-specific changes from Weeks 0 to 4 and Weeks 6 to 10.

• Change in Circulating Interleukin-8 Concentration

  Interleukin-8 concentration was measured using a commercial immunoassay.

  Baseline and Weeks 4, 6, 10, and 12; the primary crossover comparison used the phase-specific changes from Weeks 0 to 4 and Weeks 6 to 10.

• Change in C-Reactive Protein Concentration

  CRP concentration was measured using a commercial immunoassay.

  Baseline and Weeks 4, 6, 10, and 12; the primary crossover comparison used the phase-specific changes from Weeks 0 to 4 and Weeks 6 to 10.

• Change in Creatine Kinase Activity

  Kinase activity was measured in fasting blood samples. For the crossover comparison, the change during each intervention phase was calculated as the value at the end of the 4-week phase minus the corresponding phase-specific baseline value. Changes during the chickpea protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin placebo phases were compared within participants.

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity

  Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity was measured in fasting blood samples. For the crossover comparison, the change during each intervention phase was calculated as the value at the end of the 4-week phase minus the corresponding phase-specific baseline value. Changes during the chickpea protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin placebo phases were compared within participants.

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Myoglobin Concentration

  Myoglobin Concentration was measured in fasting blood samples. For the crossover comparison, the change during each intervention phase was calculated as the value at the end of the 4-week phase minus the corresponding phase-specific baseline value. Changes during the chickpea protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin placebo phases were compared within participants.

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Antioxidant Activity

  Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power, Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity, and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity was measured in fasting blood samples. For the crossover comparison, the change during each intervention phase was calculated as the value at the end of the 4-week phase minus the corresponding phase-specific baseline value. Changes during the chickpea protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin placebo phases were compared within participants.

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Glutathione Peroxidase Activity

  Glutathione Peroxidase Activity was measured in fasting blood samples. For the crossover comparison, the change during each intervention phase was calculated as the value at the end of the 4-week phase minus the corresponding phase-specific baseline value. Changes during the chickpea protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin placebo phases were compared within participants.

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Glutathione Reductase Activity

  Glutathione Reductase Activity was measured in fasting blood samples. For the crossover comparison, the change during each intervention phase was calculated as the value at the end of the 4-week phase minus the corresponding phase-specific baseline value. Changes during the chickpea protein hydrolysate and maltodextrin placebo phases were compared within participants.

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Serum Creatinine Concentration

  Baseline and Weeks 4, 6, 10, and 12; the primary crossover comparison used the phase-specific changes from Weeks 0 to 4 and Weeks 6 to 10.

• Change in Alkaline Phosphatase Activity

  Baseline and Weeks 4, 6, 10, and 12; the primary crossover comparison used the phase-specific changes from Weeks 0 to 4 and Weeks 6 to 10.

• Change in Aspartate Aminotransferase Activity

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Alanine Aminotransferase Activity

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Activity

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

Secondary Outcomes (24)

• Change in Red Blood Cell Count

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Hemoglobin Concentration

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Hematocrit

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Mean Corpuscular Volume

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

Other Outcomes (7)

• Change in Body Mass

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Body Mass Index

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

• Change in Body Fat Percentage

  Phase-specific baseline and end of each 4-week intervention period, corresponding to Weeks 0, 4, 6, and 10.

Study Arms (2)

Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate Followed by Maltodextrin Placebo

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants received the chickpea protein hydrolysate beverage for four weeks, followed by a two-week washout period. They subsequently received the maltodextrin placebo beverage for four weeks, followed by a final two-week washout period.

Dietary Supplement: Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate Beverage

Maltodextrin Placebo Followed by Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants received the maltodextrin placebo beverage for four weeks, followed by a two-week washout period. They subsequently received the chickpea protein hydrolysate beverage for four weeks, followed by a final two-week washout period.

Dietary Supplement: Maltodextrin Placebo Beverage

Interventions

Maltodextrin Placebo Beverage DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

A maltodextrin-containing placebo beverage designed to resemble the chickpea protein hydrolysate beverage in appearance and taste. The placebo was administered according to the same timing schedule as the experimental beverage for four weeks during the corresponding study period.

Maltodextrin Placebo Followed by Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate

Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate Beverage DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

A powdered beverage containing chickpea protein hydrolysate was reconstituted in water before consumption. On training days, participants consumed a dose providing 0.2 g protein/kg body weight 2-4 hours before training and 0.3 g protein/kg body weight approximately 30 minutes after training. The intervention was administered for four weeks during the corresponding study period.

Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate Followed by Maltodextrin Placebo

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Football player belonging to one of the participating professional, semiprofessional, or amateur football teams.
• Regular participation in the team's training sessions and matches.
• Considered healthy based on medical history, biochemical assessment, body composition, lifestyle assessment, and dietary evaluation.
• Ability and willingness to comply with the study procedures and beverage consumption schedule.
• Provision of written informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, or metabolic syndrome.
• Overweight, renal impairment, or hepatic impairment.
• Abnormal biochemical test results considered clinically relevant by the research team.
• Known allergy to chickpea.
• Use of medication or nutritional supplements during the four weeks preceding enrollment.
• Current smoking.
• Participation in another similar study during the previous three months.
• Completion of less than 75% of the scheduled training sessions or matches during the study.
• Failure to consume 100% of the assigned study beverage.
• Any circumstance that, in the opinion of the research team, could impair participation or compliance with the study procedures.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Instituto de la Grasa: lead
• Universidad Pablo de Olavide: collaborator
• CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnologico Industrial): collaborator
• Instituto de Biomedicina (IBiS) de Sevilla: collaborator
• Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Spain: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Ciudad Deportiva Bahía de Cádiz

Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Alcala-Santiago A, Toscano-Sanchez R, Marquez-Lopez JC, Gonzalez-Jurado JA, Fernandez-Pachon MS, Garcia-Villanova B, Pedroche J, Rodriguez-Martin NM. The Synergic Immunomodulatory Effect of Vitamin D and Chickpea Protein Hydrolysate in THP-1 Cells: An In Vitro Approach. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Nov 25;25(23):12628. doi: 10.3390/ijms252312628.

  PMID: 39684340 BACKGROUND

• Rodriguez-Martin NM, Marquez-Lopez JC, Gonzalez-Jurado JA, Millan F, Pedroche J, Fernandez-Pachon MS. The immunomodulatory potential of chickpea protein hydrolysate via ROS and NO pathways. Biomed Pharmacother. 2025 Jan;182:117794. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117794. Epub 2024 Dec 24.

  PMID: 39721324 BACKGROUND

• Rodriguez-Martin NM, Marquez-Lopez JC, Cerrillo I, Millan F, Gonzalez-Jurado JA, Fernandez-Pachon MS, Pedroche J. Production of chickpea protein hydrolysate at laboratory and pilot plant scales: Optimization using principal component analysis based on antioxidant activities. Food Chem. 2024 Mar 30;437(Pt 1):137707. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137707. Epub 2023 Oct 18.

  PMID: 37922804 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Inflammation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Justo Javier Pedroche Jiménez, PhD

  Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• María Soledad MS Fernández Pachón, PhD

  Universidad Pablo de Olavide

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• José Antonio JA González Jurado, PhD

  Universidad Pablo de Olavide

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Noelia María NM Rodríguez Martín, PhD

  Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Tenured scientist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 10, 2026
• First Posted: August 14, 2026
• Study Start: February 14, 2022
• Primary Completion: May 17, 2022
• Study Completion: May 17, 2022
• Last Updated: August 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ES (1)