The Efficacy of Chlorella Supplementation on Health and Performance Following a 12-week Training Programme
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Algae are an emerging functional food source that are gaining traction and popularity in biopharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and biotechnology industries. They are a diverse and complex species that comprise an abundant breadth of micronutrients (multiple vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids) that can possibly promote human health. One such popular algae is chlorella, a unicellular dark green organism, which can be readily bought in health stores worldwide. Although there is some promising data to suggest chlorella supplementation can alleviate cardiovascular risk factors and improve VO2max from supplementation alone, an area which has particularly limited existing literature is the possible ergogenic and health influence of chlorella supplementation combined with a controlled training programme in sedentary and overweight populations. Given that such populations are susceptible to increased risk of developing associated diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension) and possess poor diets, there is a need to investigate the possible synergistic effect of a training programme and supplementation of algae further. Furthermore, there is growing evidence to suggest that supplementation with algae may have a beneficial effect on cognitive function, primarily owed to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Therefore, the purpose of this study aims to assess the efficacy of chlorella supplementation on VO2max, blood lipid profiles, cognitive function and body composition following a 12-week training programme. Briefly, in a double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, participants will be randomly allocated into 1 of 4 groups (A. Exercise + Chlorella, B. Exercise + Placebo, C. Control + Chlorella, D. Control + Placebo).
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Chlorella Supplementation and Exercise Supplementation with Chlorella (1.5 g/d) with a physical exercise program for 12 weeks |
Dietary Supplement: Chlorella supplementation
Supplementation with Chlorella (1.5 g/d) in 3 capsules for 12 weeks.
Other: 12 week cardiovascular training programme
Participants will be asked to complete a 12 week cycling training programme. This will consist of 3 X 50 min sessions per week. Each exercise session will include a warm-up phase (~ 5 min), a main physical conditioning phase (~ 40 min), and a cool-down phase (~ 5 min).
|
| Experimental: Chlorella Supplementation Supplementation with Chlorella (1.5 g/d) only for 12 weeks. No exercise programme |
Dietary Supplement: Chlorella supplementation
Supplementation with Chlorella (1.5 g/d) in 3 capsules for 12 weeks.
|
| Placebo Comparator: Placebo Supplementation and Exercise Supplementation with Placebo - micro crystalline cellulose (1.5 g/d) with a physical exercise program for 12 weeks |
Other: 12 week cardiovascular training programme
Participants will be asked to complete a 12 week cycling training programme. This will consist of 3 X 50 min sessions per week. Each exercise session will include a warm-up phase (~ 5 min), a main physical conditioning phase (~ 40 min), and a cool-down phase (~ 5 min).
Dietary Supplement: Placebo Supplementation
Supplementation with Placebo - micro crystalline cellulose (1.5 g/d) in 3 capsules for 12 weeks.
|
| Placebo Comparator: Placebo Supplementation Supplementation with Placebo - micro crystalline cellulose (1.5 g/d) only for 12 weeks. No exercise programme |
Dietary Supplement: Placebo Supplementation
Supplementation with Placebo - micro crystalline cellulose (1.5 g/d) in 3 capsules for 12 weeks.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Changes in cardiovascular fitness (VO2max) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Changes in cardiovascular fitness variables as measured by a Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Test.
- Changes in blood lipid profiling [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in blood lipids (Triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, High-density lipoprotein)
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Changes in cognitive function (simple reaction time) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12 (before and after exercise)]
Assessing changes in simple reaction time (m/s & number of errors) using the Gorilla Experiment Builder on a laptop.
- Changes in cognitive function (inhibition) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12 (before and after exercise)]
Assessing changes in inhibition (m/s & number of errors) using the Gorilla Experiment Builder on a laptop.
- Changes in cognitive function (endogenous and exogenous attending) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12 (before and after exercise)]
Assessing changes in endogenous and exogenous attending (m/s & number of errors) using the Gorilla Experiment Builder on a laptop.
- Changes in cognitive function (context memory) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12 (before and after exercise)]
Assessing changes in source and context memory (m/s & number of errors) using the Gorilla Experiment Builder on a laptop. spatial anticipation
- Changes in cognitive function (spatial anticipation) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12 (before and after exercise)]
Assessing changes in spatial anticipation (m/s & number of errors) using the Gorilla Experiment Builder on a laptop.
- Changes in body composition variables [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in body composition variables using the Tanita. Weight (kg) and height (cm) will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2.
- Changes in body composition variables (fat & lean mass percentage) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in body fat mass (Body Fat mass %) and lean mass in percentage (Lean mass %) using the Tanita.
- Changes in body composition variables (fat free and muscle mass) [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in fat free mass (kg) and muscle mass (kg) using the Tanita.
- Changes in blood pressure [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in blood pressure (mmHg). Systolic and diastolic, using the ABP-Monitor Mobil-O-Graph NG
- Changes in pulse wave velocity [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in pulse wave velocity (PWV) using the ABP-Monitor Mobil-O-Graph NG.
- Changes in total vascular resistance [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in total vascular resistance (TVR) using the ABP-Monitor Mobil-O-Graph NG.
- Changes in augmentation index [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in augmentation index (Alx) using the ABP-Monitor Mobil-O-Graph NG.
- Changes in augmentation pressure [At baseline, week 6 and at week 12]
Assessing changes in augmentation pressure using the ABP-Monitor Mobil-O-Graph NG.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Aged 18-50
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Classified a sedentary (<30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise for <3 days per week for 3 months) and/or overweight (BMI = 25 +)
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Be willing to complete a 12-week training programme
Exclusion Criteria:
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Individuals taking blood thinners.
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Known allergies to algae/mould and iodine.
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Taking immunosuppressant medication
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Regularly ingesting algae
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Colllege London (ISEH) | London | United Kingdom | W1T 7HA |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- University College, London
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Tom Gurney, University College, London
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 21745/002