Egg Cholesterol Consumption, Blood Cholesterol and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy

September 23, 2025 updated by: Steven E.Riechman, PhD, MPH, Texas A&M University
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of dietary cholesterol administered as whole egg or egg white (control)on muscle mass gain with resistance training in a young old population of men and women (age 50-69). It is hypothesized that dietary cholesterol will be significantly associated to muscle mass gain.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this proposal is to have 36 men and women (age 50-69) perform 12 weeks of resistance exercise training for the purpose of inducing skeletal muscle hypertrophy. These individuals will consume either 0, 1, or 3 whole eggs per day in a double-blind design to test the hypothesis that dietary cholesterol is essential for skeletal muscle hypertrophy. If so proven, this will confirm a very strong association between dietary cholesterol and hypertrophy observed in a previous study of 51 men and women (age 60-69). The current proposal is using a randomized double-blind, placebo controlled design to provide the most conclusive evidence that dietary cholesterol plays an essential role in skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

The secondary objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that increased dietary cholesterol consumption in the context of an exercise program does not alter blood cholesterol concentrations or other cardiovascular risk factors.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

36

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • College Station, Texas, United States, 77843
        • Texas A&M University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years to 69 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • men and women aged 50-69
  • able to perform exercise testing and training

Exclusion Criteria:

  • blood pressure > 160/100
  • cardiac arrhythmias
  • cancer
  • hernia
  • aortic aneurysm
  • kidney disease
  • lung disease
  • total cholesterol > 240 mg/dl or < 160 mg/dl
  • current use of cholesterol lowering medications
  • actively participating in >1 hour per week of resistance training

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
< 200 mg/day dietary cholesterol, resistance training, sedentary
Behavioral: Resistance Training
12 weeks, 3 times a week whole body resistance training
Behavioral: Sedentary
Absence of physical activity
Experimental: Average intake
400 mg/day dietary cholesterol, resistance training, sedentary
Behavioral: Resistance Training
12 weeks, 3 times a week whole body resistance training
Behavioral: Sedentary
Absence of physical activity
Experimental: High intake
800 mg/day dietary cholesterol, resistance training, sedentary
Behavioral: Resistance Training
12 weeks, 3 times a week whole body resistance training
Behavioral: Sedentary
Absence of physical activity

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Primary: Strength and muscle gain (DEXA)
Time Frame: after 12 weeks of resistance training
after 12 weeks of resistance training

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Secondary: Blood lipids, inflammatory markers, blood pressure
Time Frame: after 12 weeks of resistance training
after 12 weeks of resistance training

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Texas A&M University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Steven E Riechman, PhD, MPH, Texas A&M University

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

November 1, 2005

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2008

Study Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 29, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 29, 2005

First Posted (Estimated)

December 1, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

September 29, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 23, 2025

Last Verified

September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 06-0187
  • 481031-001-CA
  • 0600083

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.

Clinical Trials on Cardiovascular Disease

Clinical Trials on Resistance Training

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Iran

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe