The Anabolic Properties of a Lipid-rich Pork Matrix

July 11, 2025 updated by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The amount and quality of skeletal muscle mass determines physical performance, but also a significant contributor to metabolic health. As such, the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is relevant across the lifespan to remain active in family and community life. Food ingestion, particularly protein, is one of the main anabolic to skeletal muscle tissue by stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates. There have been multiple attempts to identify specialized performance nutrition products (e.g., various isolated protein powders) to maximize the anabolic properties of dietary protein on muscle. Our research group, however, has advocated for a food focus approach to meet dietary protein requirements. Particularly, we propose that whole foods demonstrate food matrix effects (nutrient-nutrient interactions) that creates a greater anabolic action on muscle beyond what amino acids can create alone. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the anabolic properties of consuming lipid-rich pork products when compared to their leaner counter-parts. Our working hypothesis that the ingestion of 84% or 96% lean ground pork condition will stimulate a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis rates compared to an isocaloric carbohydrate beverage in healthy adults. We further hypothesize that the ingestion of 84% lean pork will augment the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis rates to a greater extent than 96% lean ground pork. To achieve our objective, we will recruit 15 healthy men and women (20-50 y) to receive prime-constant infusions to directly measure muscle protein synthesis rates before and after treatment ingestion using our lab's established methods.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
16

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
        • Louise Freer Hall (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 20-50 yrs
  • Pre-menopausal
  • Recreationally active
  • Weight stable for prior 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age outside of range (20 - 50 yrs)
  • Pregnancy
  • Irregular menstrual cycles
  • Participation in previous research using [13C6]phenylalanine
  • Participation in other ongoing research that interferes with this study (e.g., conflicting diet, activity interventions, etc.)
  • Any hospitalization or surgery for a metabolic, cardiovascular, or neuromusculoskeletal complication within the past year
  • Allergy or hypersensitivity to local anesthetics, latex, or adhesives (bandages, medical tape, etc.)
  • Excess scarring after injury
  • History of excess bleeding after cut
  • Chronic or frequent dizziness/fainting, and arm or leg weakness/numbness
  • Arthritis
  • Tumors
  • Mental Illness
  • Hepatorenal, cardiovascular musculoskeletal, autoimmune, or neurological disease or disorder
  • Predisposition to hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation
  • Physical activity limitations
  • Consumption of ergogenic-levels of dietary supplements that may affect muscle mass (e.g., creatine, HMB), insulin-like substances, or anabolic/catabolic pro-hormones (e.g., DHEA) within 6 weeks prior to participation
  • Consumption of thyroid, androgenic, or other medications known to affect endocrine function
  • Consumption of medications known to affect protein metabolism (e.g., prescription-strength corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or acne medication)
  • Unwillingness to comply with study procedures
  • Weight unstable (variation >5% of bodyweight in last 6-12 months)
  • Current or previous tobacco use with last 6 months
  • Obesity (body mass index; BMI > 30 kg/m^2)
  • Score of less than 14 or greater than 24 on Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire
  • Phenylketonuria
  • Anyone hospitalized previously for COVID-19 without a cardiovascular workup screening for cardiovascular issues post-infection
  • Anyone recovering from COVID-19 infection within the preceding 10 days

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Carbohydrate Control
This condition will consist of a carbohydrate beverage.
Other: Carbohydrate Beverage
This intervention will contain 266 kcals and 73.3 g carbohydrate from a carbohydrate beverage.
Active Comparator: Low-Fat Pork
This condition will consist of consuming 90.2 g of low-fat (4.90% crude fat) ground pork.
Other: 95.1% Lean Pork
This intervention will contain 120 kcals, 4.4 g fat, and 20 g protein from low-fat ground pork.
Experimental: High-Fat Pork
This condition will consist of consuming 109.6 g of high-fat (18.84% crude fat) ground pork.
Other: 81.16% Lean Pork
This intervention will contain 266 kcals, 20.6 g fat, and 20 g protein from high-fat ground pork.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Myofibrillar Fractional Synthetic Rate
Time Frame: During 5-hour post-prandial period following consumption of the study meal or beverage
Rate of building new protein in skeletal muscle contractile protein
During 5-hour post-prandial period following consumption of the study meal or beverage

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Plasma Amino Acid Concentration
Time Frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Concentration of amino acids in plasma as determined by LC/MS/MS
During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Free Fatty Acid Concentration
Time Frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Concentration of amino acids in plasma as determined by GC-MS
During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Insulin Concentration
Time Frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Concentration of insulin in plasma as determined by commercially-available ELISA kits
During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Glucose Concentration
Time Frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Concentration of glucose in plasma as determined by an automated biochemistry analyzer (YSI)
During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Nicholas A Burd, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 15, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 9, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 9, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 16, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 16, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 25, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 11, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 23257

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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