Nutrient and Hormonal Profile and Muscle Protein Synthesis Response to Consuming Chicken

May 5, 2026 updated by: University of California, Davis

Nutrient and Hormonal Profile and Muscle Protein Synthesis Response to Consuming Chicken Grown Using Different Farming Practices

The study aims to evaluate if there is a difference between eating conventionally raised or organic chicken. The investigators will measure and compare the nutrient and hormone levels in the participant's blood and the muscle protein synthesis rate (the rate at which your body builds muscle) after eating chicken from different farming practices. This will help the investigators to understand if these farming practices impact muscle protein synthesis and overall health.

Specific aim 1: Describe the post-prandial nutrient and hormonal profile in serum in the 3 hours following consumption of 100 grams (~32g of protein) of boneless-skinless conventional vs. regenerative chicken breast meat.

Specific aim 2: Compare the ability of boneless-skinless chicken breasts grown with these two farming practices to activate mTORC1-specific and whole muscle protein synthesis in an in vitro model of muscle.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Indicators of longevity in humans include skeletal muscle mass and strength. Muscle mass depends on the balance between myofibrillar protein synthesis and degradation, influenced by diet and physical activity. Muscle strength correlates with muscle mass, and weight lifting until failure increases muscle protein synthesis, enhancing muscle mass and strength over time. Protein intake is crucial for positive protein balance and muscle growth. Animal proteins promote muscle synthesis more effectively than plant proteins. Limited research exists on the impact of agricultural practices on meat quality. Studies indicate that organic meat may have higher nutritional value and better lipid profiles. This project aims to compare the serum nutrient, hormonal profiles, and muscle protein synthesis rates after consuming isonitrogenous amounts of chicken from conventional versus regenerative/organic practices.

The purpose of the study is to quantify and compare the serum nutrient and hormonal profile, and muscle protein synthesis rates, in response to consuming isonitrogenous amounts of chicken grown using different agricultural practices (conventional vs. regenerative)

Specific aim 1: Describe the post-prandial nutrient and hormonal profile in serum in the 3 hours following consumption of 100 grams (~32g of protein) of boneless-skinless conventional vs. regenerative chicken breast meat.

Specific aim 2: Compare the ability of boneless-skinless chicken breasts grown with these two farming practices to activate mTORC1-specific and whole muscle protein synthesis in an in vitro model of muscle.

Study participant will come to the CTSC Clinical Research Center on two separate occasions.

The two study visits will be scheduled over a 2-week period (i.e. once per week for 2 weeks), at the same time in the morning following an overnight (> 12-hour) fast. The participants will be asked to refrain from vigorous exercise, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol for 24 hours before each visit. Female participants will be asked to schedule their study visits within the first two weeks of their menstrual cycle (starting on the first day of menstrual bleeding), to control for ovarian hormone fluctuations which may impact digestion and metabolism.

Upon arrival at the research center on the first test visit, each participant's height and weight will be measured. Each participant will also fill out a questionnaire regarding physical activity and dietary habits.

I. Baseline blood draw.

Participants will then be placed in individual testing rooms, equipped with a reclining phlebotomy armchair. A registered nurse or nurse practitioner will insert a 22G catheter in a forearm vein and an initial 5 mL baseline blood sample will be collected.

II. Test meal.

After the baseline blood sample is collected, participants will consume one of the two chicken test meals. The meat will be equivalent to an isonitrogenous amount of 20 g of protein:

The food will be weighed before cooking and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt will be added for palatability. The boneless-skinless chicken breasts will be grilled on an indoor electric grill until the internal temperature reaches 165-170°F to comply with the USDA Recommendations for Food Safety (Chicken, minimum 165°F). The internal temperature of the chicken breasts will be determined using a meat thermometer. The chicken will be served to the participants as soon as it has finished cooking. Participants will be asked to consume each boneless-skinless chicken breast without condiments within a 10-minute period and instructed to chew thoroughly. Participants will also be asked to drink a 250 mL glass of water with the meal.

III. Postprandial blood draws.

Following consumption of the test meal, the participants will remain at the research site, in their individual testing room, for another 3 hours, they may bring books or electronic devices to pass the time. Five more blood samples of 5 mL each will be obtained at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after the test meal, totaling six blood draws of 5mL per visit (30mL per visit), and 60 mL of blood drawn in total for each subject completing the entire study.

Blood will be collected in 5 mL serum-separating tubes. The blood will be allowed to clot for before centrifugation at 1000 x g for 10 minutes. The serum will be frozen and kept at -80°C until processed. 1 milliliter of each serum sample will be used for determining nutrient and hormone concentrations. The rest of the serum will be used for muscle protein synthesis and mTORC1 bioassay analysis.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

19

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
    • California
      • Sacramento, California, United States, 95817
        • UC Davis CTSC Clinical Research Center

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:

Healthy active males and females (To be considered active, volunteers must meet the following American College of Sports Medicine's guideline for physical activity for healthy adults: performing at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity.

Age18-30 years

Normal weight (BMI between 18 and 25 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

Health or dietary restrictions that would prevent consumption of the test foods

Known food allergy to chicken

Anemia (low red blood cell count)

Overweight or obesity (BMI > 25 kg/m2)

Receiving any medication that may interfere with the study

Metabolic or endocrine disorder that would affect the digestion, absorption, and/or physiological response to any of the nutrients ingested.

Currently not meeting the ACSM physical activity recommendations (IPAQ score < 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Pregnancy

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: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Conventional Chicken
This arm will be given a meal of 100 grams (~32g of protein) boneless-skinless conventional chicken breast meat together with 250mL of water
Other: Conventional Chicken
This arm will be given a meal of 100 grams (~32g of protein) boneless-skinless convential chicken breast meat together with 250mL of water
Experimental: Regenerative Chicken
This arm will be given a meal of 100 grams (~32g of protein) boneless-skinless regenerative chicken breast meat together with 250mL of water
Other: Regenerative Chicken
This arm will be given a meal of 100 grams (~32g of protein) boneless-skinless regenerative chicken breast meat together with 250mL of water

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
post-prandial amino acid profile
Time Frame: Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal
Serum samples are extracted with 1mL of modified Folch extraction, followed by vacuum centrifugation for drying. Dried samples will be reconstituted with 100 μl of 75% ACN/water. The supernatant is then injected into Aligent UPLC-QqQ for analysis of targeted free amino acids, short peptides, and other metabolites.
Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal
post-prandial short peptide profile
Time Frame: Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal
Serum samples are extracted with 1mL of modified Folch extraction, followed by vacuum centrifugation for drying. Dried samples will be reconstituted with 100 μl of 75% ACN/water. The supernatant is then injected into Aligent UPLC-QqQ for analysis of targeted free amino acids, short peptides, and other metabolites.
Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal
Muscle protein synthesis
Time Frame: Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal
To measure muscle protein synthesis, stably transfected C2C12 muscle cells with a plasmid (pcDNA3 luciferase) will be used. C2C12Luc cells will be plated in 24-well plates and differentiated over 4 days. Differentiated C2C12 cells will be fasted by washing with PBS and then treating them with Test Media (20% DMEM) for 15 minutes. Fasted muscle cells will then be treated with Test Media containing 10% baseline or fed serum (from blood samples at 30, 60, 90,120 and 180 minutes after meal) for 3 hours. Cells will be collected in passive lysis buffer and firefly luciferase activity will be determined.
Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal
mTORC1 specific protein synthesis
Time Frame: Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal

To measure the ability of meal of chicken (conventional or regenerative) to activate mTORC1, stably transfected C2C12 muscle cells with a plasmid (pcDNA3-TOP luciferase) where the luciferase mRNA contains a 5'TOP. 5'TOP mRNA, which specifically regulated by mTORC1 activity, will be used.

Differentiated C2C12TOPLuc muscle cells in 24-well plates will be stimulated using the baseline or fed serum (from blood samples at 30, 60, 90,120 and 180 minutes after meal). The degree of mTORC1 activation will be determined as the difference in slopes between the baseline and fed sera.
Baseline (0 hour) to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after consumed meal

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of California, Davis

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Keith Baar, PhD, University of California, Davis

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

October 11, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 28, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 28, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

July 8, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 5, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2190600

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

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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