Effect Of Whole or Skimmed Milk Greek Yogurt on Integrated Muscle Protein Synthesis, Glucose Homeostasis, and Cognition in Post-Menopausal Women

Effect Of Whole or Skimmed Milk Greek Yogurt on Integrated Muscle Protein Synthesis, Glucose Homeostasis, And Cognition in Post-Menopausal Women

The study will examine the impact of adding two servings per day of skimmed or whole milk Greek yogurt on integrated muscle protein synthesis (iMPS), blood sugar control, and cognition in post-menopausal women with overweight and obesity.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Menopause; Women; Obesity & Overweight
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Skimmed vs Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: David D. Church, PhD; Phone Number: 501-526-5769; Email: dchurch@uams.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Joseph J Matthews, PhD; Phone Number: 501-526-5707; Email: jmatthews@uams.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arkansas
    • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205
      • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      • Contact: David D Church, PhD; Phone Number: 501-526-5769; Email: dchurch@uams.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged 50 to 65 years
2. Body mass index ≥25 to <40 kg/m2 or body fat ≥36%
3. Able to provide informed consent

4. Absence of menstruation for ≥12 months without the use of hormonal contraceptives, or one of the following:

   • Another medical cause of menopause e.g., history of bilateral oophorectomy
   • Clinician-confirmed menopausal status for those with hysterectomy and retained/unknown ovaries
   • Partial/total hysterectomy ≥12 months ago and current age ≥55 years

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Allergy or intolerance to dairy products (other allergies or intolerances may be excluded if they are not compatible with the study meals and how they are prepared)
2. Conditions, medications, or recent changes in medications that cause participants to be metabolically unstable (e.g., renal, cardiovascular, thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome, type-1 and type-2 diabetes)
3. Gastric bypass/bariatric surgery in the previous 5 years
4. Pregnancy or nursing in the prior 12 months
5. Weight loss or gain >5 kg in the last two months
6. Unable or unwilling to suspend use of blood thinning medications and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the duration of the study
7. Unwilling to abstain from vigorous exercise for the study period
8. Does not or will not eat all foods on the standardized diet (e.g., allergies, intolerances, or taste preferences)
9. Participants may be excluded at the Principal Investigator's discretion if their health or body composition is not compatible with the required study procedures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Skimmed Milk Greek Yogurt; Participants will consume two servings per day of skimmed milk Greek yogurt.	Other: Skimmed vs Whole Milk Greek Yogurt; Participants will be randomized to receive a standardized diet with either skimmed milk or whole milk Greek yogurt.
Active Comparator: Whole Milk Greek Yogurt; Participants will consume two servings per day of whole milk Greek yogurt.	Other: Skimmed vs Whole Milk Greek Yogurt; Participants will be randomized to receive a standardized diet with either skimmed milk or whole milk Greek yogurt.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Integrated Muscle Protein Synthesis (iMPS)	Integrated muscle protein synthesis expressed as the fractional synthetic rate (%/day).	1 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Glucose Homeostasis	Mean glucose and mean amplitude of glucose excursions (MAGE) as determined from continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) (mg/dL).	1 week

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plasma Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)	Postprandial plasma EAA concentrations (µmol/L) in response to skimmed and whole milk Greek yogurt intake.	Baseline to 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, and 240 minutes post yogurt ingestion
Cognition: Reaction Time, Alertness, and Selective Attention	Determined from simple and choice reaction (reaction time and alertness) and the Stroop test (selective attention) (milliseconds; ms).	Baseline to 1- and 4-hours post yogurt ingestion
Cognition: Updating	Determined from the 2-back test (discriminatory ot targets; d').	Baseline to 1- and 4-hours post yogurt ingestion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Arkansas
• Collaborators: National Dairy Council
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David D Church, PhD, University of Arkansas

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Women; Dairy; Cognition; Protein; Muscle Protein Synthesis; Glycemic Control; Protein Turnover; Post-Menopause
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Overweight; Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 300136

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