Resistance Exercise Plus Vinegar Ingestion on Biomarkers in Healthy Adults

April 6, 2025 updated by: Carol Johnston, Arizona State University

The Effects of a 12-Week Resistance Exercise Program Plus Vinegar Ingestion on Biomarkers of Intestinal Permeability, Cognition, and Mood State in Healthy Adults

Given its capacity to stimulate exercise-induced neuroplasticity at lower doses compared to aerobic exercise, resistance exercise has become the top-recommended rehabilitation approach for individuals with neurocognitive impairments. Despite a large body of evidence supporting its application in the context of cognition, little work has been done to investigate the role of resistance exercise in modifying the structure and function of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Likewise, despite a general understanding of the benefits of short chain fatty acids such as acetate for the gut-brain axis, the impact of exogenous acetic acid has not been sufficiently examined in the context of the intestinal barrier. While self-reported mood disturbance responds favorably to vinegar ingestion, it is currently unknown if these effects are also associated with changes in intestinal permeability.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Existing resistance exercise interventions have produced promising outcomes indicating favorable shifts in microbial composition, intestinal barrier integrity, and serum biomarkers of inflammation. These changes appear to be particularly pronounced in individuals experiencing greater enhancements in lean mass, implying a crucial role for the hypertrophic effects of the exercise protocol. Given the current knowledge surrounding age-related cognitive decline and the pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders, it seems that many of the mechanisms significantly influenced by resistance exercise could contribute to reducing the risk or, at the very least, delaying the onset of these conditions. Considering the observed neuroplastic and neuroprotective effects of resistance exercise on the brain, it is plausible to hypothesize that the mitigation of excessive intestinal permeability and subsequent neuroinflammation may further support overall brain function. Given the potential for vinegar to enhance these outcomes, investigating the combined effects of exercise and vinegar ingestion may provide valuable insights into how lifestyle interventions can effectively promote cognitive and mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to assess whether the combination of resistance exercise and vinegar ingestion elicits more favorable shifts in gut barrier function, cognition, and mental health compared to resistance exercise alone. This investigation aims to demonstrate the potential efficacy of this integrated approach in fostering long-team health outcomes.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

29

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
    • Arizona
      • Phoenix, Arizona, United States, 85004
        • 850 PBC

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. premenopausal (for those assigned female at birth)
  2. willing and able to participate in moderate to vigorous exercise as determined by the ACSM Health/Fitness Facility Preparticipation Screening Questionnaire
  3. sedentary (defined as a score <14 on the Godin-Shepard Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTQ))
  4. equipped with access to a complete gym
  5. available for all lab visits (at weeks 0, 3, 9, and 15)

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. antibiotic use within the past three months
  2. prebiotic, probiotic, or high-dose antioxidant supplementation within the past month
  3. regular engagement in moderate to vigorous exercise
  4. following a vegetarian diet
  5. presence of any medical/psychiatric disease
  6. presence of any gastrointestinal disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis/diverticulosis, etc.
  7. actively pregnant or breastfeeding

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Liquid vinegar
2 tablespoons of liquid apple cider vinegar (5% acidity) diluted in one cup of water twice daily with meals providing 1.5g acetic acid.
Dietary supplement: Vinegar liquid
one pill daily
Other Names:
  • Vinegar pill
Placebo Comparator: Vinegar pill
one apple cider vinegar tablet (0.022g acetic acid) daily.
Dietary supplement: vinegar pill
One pill daily

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lipopolysaccharide
Time Frame: 12 weeks
measured indirectly via LPS binding protein
12 weeks
Depression
Time Frame: 12 weeks
measured via Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire
12 weeks
Cognitive change
Time Frame: 12 weeks
measured using Trail Making Test
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Arizona State 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 (Actual)

May 22, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 15, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

February 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 26, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 26, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

May 31, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 6, 2025

Last Verified

May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STUDY00019774

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There is no plan to share data beyond study investigators.

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.

Clinical Trials on Mood Disorders

Clinical Trials on Vinegar liquid

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Nigeria

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe