Dairy vs Plant-based Beverages for Improving Bone Health During Exercise
February 19, 2026 updated by: Phil Chilibeck, University of Saskatchewan
Dairy Versus Plant-based Beverages Combined With Resistance-training for Improving Bone Health
This study will evaluate the effects of consuming dairy milk versus two plant-based beverages (pea-based, and almond-based) after resistance training sessions (3 times per week for 12 months) on bone properties (bone mineral density, bone geometry), body composition, strength, and functional performance in post-menopausal women and men 50y and older.
Study Overview
Status
Recruiting
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
The purpose of the study is to compare consumption of dairy milk (1% chocolate milk) to plant-based beverages (protein-matched pea beverage and low-protein almond beverage) after resistance-training sessions on bone mineral density, bone geometric properties, lean tissue and fat mass, muscular strength, and functional performance.
One-hundred and fifty postmenopausal women and men 50y or older will be randomized to one of three groups: 1) Dairy milk; 2) pea-beverage; 3) almond beverage.
The study will be double-blind, accomplished by chocolate flavoring of each beverage.
Participants will do supervised strength-training sessions three times per week for 12 months.
After each strength-training session, participants will consume 375 ml of their beverage and then consume 375 ml of their beverage again one hour later.
Study Type
Interventional
Enrollment (Estimated)
150
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 Contact
- Name: PHILIP Chilibeck, PhD
- Phone Number: 3062303849
- Email: phil.chilibeck@usask.ca
Study Locations
-
-
Saskatchewan
-
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7K 2X2
- Recruiting
- College of Kinesiology University of Saskatchewan
-
Contact:
- PHILIP Chilibeck, PhD
- Phone Number: 3062303849
- Email: phil.chilibeck@usask.ca
-
-
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
- Child
- Adult
- Older Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Women need to be postmenopausal (no age limit)
- Men need to be 50y or older
Exclusion Criteria:
- Taking medications that might affect bone
- Conditions that might preclude participating in a resistance-training program (determined by the "Get Active Questionnaire").
- Planning 6 weeks of travel during the 12 month intervention period
- Planning major surgery during the 12 month intervention period
- Already strength training greater than 2 days per week for 30 minutes or longer per session
- Allergies to ingredients in the beverages
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: Triple
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: 1% chocolate milk
375 ml of 1% chocolate milk consumed immediately after resistance training sessions + 375 ml of chocolate milk consumed 1 hour after resistance training sessions
|
1% chocolate milk
pea-based beverage
almond-based beverage
|
|
Experimental: Pea-based beverage
375 ml of pea beverage consumed immediately after resistance training sessions + 375 ml of pea beverage consumed 1 hour after resistance training sessions
|
1% chocolate milk
pea-based beverage
almond-based beverage
|
|
Placebo Comparator: Almond beverage
375 ml of almond beverage consumed immediately after resistance training sessions + 375 ml of almond beverage consumed 1 hour after resistance training sessions
|
1% chocolate milk
pea-based beverage
almond-based beverage
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in section modulus at the hip (cm to the power of 3)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Section modulus measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in lumbar spine bone mineral density (g/cm-squared)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Lumbar spine bone mineral density measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
Change in hip bone mineral density (g/cm-squared)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Hip bone mineral density measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
Change in cross-sectional area at the hip (cm-squared)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Cross-sectional area measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
Change in cortical thickness at the hip (cm)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Cortical thickness measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
Change in buckling ratio at the hip (no units)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Buckling ratio measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
Change in bench press strength (kg)
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
|
Bench press strength determine from 1-repetition maximum
|
6 and 12 months
|
|
Change in knee extension strength (kg)
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
|
Knee extension strength determined from 1-repetition maxium
|
6 and 12 months
|
|
Change in lean tissue mass (kg)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Lean tissue mass measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
Change in fat mass (kg)
Time Frame: 12 months
|
Fat mass measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
|
12 months
|
|
change in 30 second sit to stand (number of repetitions)
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
|
Maximal number of times sitting and standing in 30 seconds
|
6 and 12 months
|
|
Change in walking speed (m/s)
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
|
walking speed measured over 10 m
|
6 and 12 months
|
|
Change in timed up and go performance (s)
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
|
Time for standing from a chair, walking 6 meters and sitting back down
|
6 and 12 months
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
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 30, 2025
Primary Completion (Estimated)
May 30, 2027
Study Completion (Estimated)
August 30, 2027
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
April 19, 2025
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
April 19, 2025
First Posted (Actual)
April 27, 2025
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
February 23, 2026
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
February 19, 2026
Last Verified
February 1, 2026
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- 361218
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.