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Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of pistachio snacking on metabolic flexibility (at rest, during exercise, and in post-exercise recovery) in healthy overweight and obese adults. Secondary goals include evaluating effects on changes in diet quality, sleep characteristics, physical activity, and hormonal health in women. In randomized order, participants will complete four days of pistachio snacking and four days of normal dietary habits (control). For both conditions, primary outcomes of resting substrate metabolism, metabolic flexibility during exercise, and post-exercise substrate metabolism will be measured pre-post intervention via indirect calorimetry. Secondary outcome of diet quality (kcal, carb, fat, protein) will be measured pre-post intervention via diet log. Exploratory outcomes of daily physical activity (steps, intensity), nightly sleep characteristics (quantity, quality, latency, efficiency), and daytime sleepiness and hunger.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 25 Years and 45 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Males and Females - Age: 25-45 years - Overweight or obese (BMI=25.0-34.9 kg/m²) - Poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ≥ 5) - Healthy (no diagnosed metabolic, cardiovascular, sleep, or other health condition that may significantly alter metabolism, sleep, or ability to participate in the exercise test) - Not meeting weekly physical activity recommendations (<150 min moderate-intensity exercise, <75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, and <2 days of strength training) - Not following a diet that is restrictive or eliminates certain food group/types

Exclusion Criteria

  • Allergies to nuts, especially tree nuts - Has a pacemaker - Following a diet that is restrictive or eliminates certain food group/types - Self-repoted health or disease state that may influence study outcomes, including known metabolic or endocrine disorder (e.g. prediabetes, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or polycystic ovary syndrome), cardiovascular diseases, neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal disorders; current or recent history of cancer/cancer treatment (within the past year) - History of gastrointestinal surgery, hysterectomy - For women: pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant during the time of participation, pregnant within the last year, currently breastfeeding, or known to be perimenopausal

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Crossover Assignment
Intervention Model Description
Randomized, crossover
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Pistachio 		Four days of pistachio snacking, to be consumed mid-morning (1oz; 9-11am), mid-afternoon (1oz; 2-4pm), and pre-sleep (0.5 oz; within 1hr of bedtime), while otherwise maintaining normal dietary habits. An addition snack will be consumed post-exercise (0.5oz).
  • Other: Pistachio
    Roasted, lightly salted, pistachio kernels (no shell)
No Intervention
Control 		Maintain normal dietary habits for four days.

Recruiting Locations

Public Health Research Center: Clinical Exercise Research Center
Columbia, South Carolina 29208

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of South Carolina

Study Contact

Callie Unrein, MS
803-777-5478
sustainlab@mailbox.sc.edu

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.