The influence of subtly encouraging individuals to choose less calorie-dense foods

To what extent does priming individuals to select low energy-dense (LED) foods reduce their selection of high energy-dense (HED) items when faced with the temptation of more calorically dense visual cues?

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN74601698

Enrollment

120

Registered

2020-10-02

Start date

2020-01-27

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2021-08-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Promotion of less energy-dense food selection following exercise in university-level student athletes, as part of promotion of an overall healthier lifestyle. Not Applicable

Interventions

Computer-generated randomisation into control and experimental groups. All participants complete three questionnaires: baseline (one week before participants' sports match), pre-match

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Members of the University of St Andrews 1st or 2nd XI, male or female, football or hockey teams.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Does not meet inclusion criteria

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Energy density of food item selected is measured by the researcher observing whether participants select a low energy-dense or high energy-dense food following post-match questionnaire completion (immediately following participants' sports match)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Self reported appetite is measured using a visual analogue scale (0-10) before exercise (pre-match questionnaire) and after exercise (post-match questionnaire)	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 23, 2026