Independent and Combined Effects of Short-term Sulforaphane Supplementation and Exercise on Immunometabolism in Healthy Adults (EXSFN)

July 15, 2026 updated by: Hashim Islam, University of British Columbia

Independent and Combined Effects of Short-term Sulforaphane Supplementation and Exercise on Immunometabolism in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study

The study consist of 3 interventional periods which will be completed by each consenting participant in a randomized, crossover fashion. The interventional periods will be separated by a minimum 1 week washout period. One of the interventions consists of 4 days of daily supplementation with the commercially available broccoli sprout extract capsules (BrocElite). Another intervention will consist of 4 days of daily supervised treadmill running. The exercise protocol consists of 4 minutes of high-intensity running running followed by a 3 minute recovery period, repeated for a total of 4 repetitions. The last intervention combines the above two and consists of 4 days of daily supplementation and daily supervised exercise training. Before and after each intervention, basic anthropometrics (weight, heart rate, and blood pressure) will be recorded, and a venous blood sample will be collected. Blood samples will be analyzed for metabolic and inflammatory markers. Participants will be asked to refrain from structured exercise, alcohol consumption, and broccoli consumption during each of the experimental periods. Before any testing, willing participants will provide informed consent, and fill out a few demographic, and lifestyle questionnaires. The study will be conducted at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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 (Estimated)

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.
20

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.
  • Name: Hashim Islam Principle Investigator, Ph.D
  • Phone Number: 250-807-9122
  • Email: hashim.islam@ubc.ca

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • British Columbia
      • Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, V1V 1V7
        • Recruiting
        • Reichwald Health Sciences Centre
        • Contact:

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:

  • aged between 19 and 35 years
  • not a current smoker
  • physically active based on the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (150 minutes of weekly physical activity)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • a history of cardiometabolic diseases or respiratory diseases (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, coronary artery disease)
  • currently following a ketogenic diet
  • body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m2
  • unable to read or communicate in English
  • having received a vaccination or experienced an upper respiratory tract infection in the last 4 weeks
  • having donated more than 0.5 L of blood within the last 4 weeks
  • currently pregnant
  • have contraindications to high intensity exercise (assessed using the CSEP Get Active Questionnaire)

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: Basic Science
  • 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.
Experimental: Sulforaphane Supplementation Only
In this intervention, participants will consume commercially available broccoli sprout extract capsules daily for 4 days (20 mg/day) . Basic anthropometrics (weight, heart rate, blood pressure) and a venous blood sample (30 mL) will be collected before and after this interventional period.
Dietary supplement: Sulforaphane-rich Broccoli Sprout Extract
Broc Elite Plus stabilized sulforaphane capsules from Mara Labs
Active Comparator: Exercise Only
In this intervention, participants will complete supervised exercise sessions daily for 4 days. The exercise intervention consists of interval running on a treadmill which contains 4 cycles of: 4 minutes of intense running (85-95% HRmax) followed by 3 minutes at a slow, easy pace. Basic anthropometrics (weight, heart rate, blood pressure) and a venous blood sample (30 mL) will be collected before and after this interventional period.
Other: High Intensity Interval Treadmill Running
4 cycles of: 4 minutes of intense treadmill running (85-95% HR max) followed by 3 minutes of slow, easy running.
Experimental: Sulforaphane Supplementation and Exercise
In this intervention, participants will consume commercially available broccoli sprout extract tablets daily for 4 days. In addition, participants will complete supervised exercise sessions daily for 4 days. The exercise intervention consists of interval running on a treadmill which contains 4 cycles of: 4 minutes of intense running (85-95% HRmax) followed by 3 minutes at a slow, easy pace. Basic anthropometrics (weight, heart rate, blood pressure) and a venous blood sample (30 mL) will be collected before and after this interventional period.
Dietary supplement: Sulforaphane-rich Broccoli Sprout Extract
Broc Elite Plus stabilized sulforaphane capsules from Mara Labs
Other: High Intensity Interval Treadmill Running
4 cycles of: 4 minutes of intense treadmill running (85-95% HR max) followed by 3 minutes of slow, easy running.

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
Change in peripheral blood mononuclear cell oxygen consumption rate
Time Frame: 0-4 days
OCR will be measured using a Seahorse Analyzer before and after each 4-day intervention
0-4 days

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
TNF-alpha secretion from LPS-stimulated whole blood
Time Frame: 0-4 days
TNF-alpha secretion from LPS-stimulated whole blood will be measured via ELISA before and after each 4-day period
0-4 days
Change in TLR-4 expression on classical monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
TLR-4 expression on classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention.
0-4 days
Change in TLR-4 expression on intermediate monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
TLR-4 expression on intermediate monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention.
0-4 days
Change in TLR-4 expression on non-classical monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
TLR-4 expression on non-classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention
0-4 days
Change in white blood cell counts before and after the 4-day intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
White blood cell counts will be measured using a hematology analyzer at baseline and after the 4-day intervention
0-4 days
TNF-alpha secretion from PolyIC-stimulated whole blood
Time Frame: 0-4 days
TNF-alpha secretion from PolyIC-stimulated whole blood will be measured via ELISA before and after each 4-day period
0-4 days
Change in peripheral blood mononuclear cell extracellular acidification rate before and after the 4-day period
Time Frame: 0-4 days
PBMC ECAR will be measured using a Seahorse Analyzer at baseline and after the 4-day intervention
0-4 days
Change in PBMC mitotracker green staining before and after the 4-day period
Time Frame: 0-4 days
PBMC mitotracker green will be measured using flow cytometry before and after the 4-day intervention period
0-4 days
Change in PBMC mitoSOX red staining before and after the 4-day period
Time Frame: 0-4 days
PBMC mitoSOX red will be measured using flow cytometry before and after the 4-day intervention period
0-4 days
Change in PBMC mitochondrial respiration before and after the 4-day intervention period
Time Frame: 0-4 days
PBMC mitochondrial respiration will be measured using high-resolution respirometry before and after the 4-day period
0-4 days
Change in percentage of classical monocytes before and after the 6-week intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
The percentage of classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention
0-4 days
Change in percentage of intermediate monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
The percentage of intermediate monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention
0-4 days
Change in percentage of non-classical monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention
Time Frame: 0-4 days
The percentage of non-classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention
0-4 days

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 British Columbia

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.
March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 1, 2028

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).
June 19, 2026

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.
June 19, 2026

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.
June 25, 2026

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 17, 2026

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 15, 2026

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, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

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.
  • H25-03273

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

IPD will not be shared to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of participants, in accordance with ethical guidelines and data protection regulations. Additionally, this was not included in the informed consent, which did not cover data sharing or address potential risks of re-identification.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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