Protein Supplementation in Pilates Training

Effects of Pilates Training and Protein Supplementation on Body Composition, Performance, and Biochemical Indices

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05849350

Enrollment

Registered

2023-05-08

Start date

2023-01-20

Completion date

2023-05-31

Last updated

2024-03-22

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

Conditions

Dietary Supplements, Exercise Training

Brief summary

Pilates training, a type of mind and body exercise that focuses on muscle strength and flexibility, has become increasingly popular in recent years. Research has shown that Pilates could be an effective exercise form to improve body composition, particularly in obese individuals, while beneficial effects on flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance have also been observed in young and older adults. It is well documented that protein supplementation can augment the effects of resistance training on body composition and performance. While there is an abundance of studies investigating the effect of protein supplements on adaptations to resistance exercise, there is a knowledge gap regarding their effectiveness in Pilates training. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of protein supplementation, compared to placebo (maltodextrin) on body composition, performance, and biochemical indices in healthy young and middle-aged, eumenorrheic (regular menstrual cycle) women who perform Pilates. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either 0.6 g of whey protein or maltodextrin per kg body weight per day for 10 weeks. Participants will be asked to avoid modifying their dietary habits for the duration of the study to limit the effect of diet on the measured parameters. To check for this, participants will record their diet for 3 days (2 weekdays and one weekend day) on the first, middle, and last weeks of the intervention. Dietary records will then be analyzed. Pilates classes will be performed at least two times per week, while specialized Pilates equipment (Reformer or Cadillac) will be used according to the Pilates principles. The duration of each workout will be set at around 50 min. Participants will undergo measurements of body composition, core muscle endurance, and joint flexibility at the beginning and end of the study. In addition, hematologic parameters, clinical chemistry parameters, hormones, and plasma amino acids will be measured. All these outcome measures will be compared between the whey protein and maltodextrin groups to determine the effectiveness of protein supplementation in Pilates training.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTWhey protein

Intake of whey protein

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTMaltodextrin

Intake of maltodextrin

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

OTHER

Masking

QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

18 Years to 50 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Eumenorrheic (regular menstrual cycle) women * Regular Pilates training (at least 2 times a week, 50 min each session, for the past 4 months), as assessed by gym records or questionnaires * Mixed isoenergetic diet for the past 4 months

Exclusion criteria

* Any musculoskeletal injuries that could interfere with training * Chronic disease * Milk allergy * Pregnancy, lactation, or planning a pregnancy within the duration of the study * Regular use of prescription medicine or supplements that might affect muscle function or recovery over the past month * Intermittent or religious fasting * Any vegetarian, ketogenic or protein diet

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Plasma amino acid profile post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Plasma amino acid profile (that is, the concentration of each individual amino acid) will be determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Bone mineral density pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Bone mineral density of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry.
Bone mineral density post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Bone mineral density of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry.
Bone mineral content pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Bone mineral content of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry.
Joint flexibility pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Joint flexibility will be assessed through the sit and reach test.
Joint flexibility post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Joint flexibility will be assessed through the sit and reach test.
Bone mineral content post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Bone mineral content of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry.
Bone area pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Bone area of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry.
Bone area post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Bone area of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry.
Body fat % and lean % pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Body fat as a % of total body weight will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Lean as a % of total body weight will be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Body weight pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Body weight will be measured with an electronic scale to the nearest 0.1 kg
Body weight post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Body weight will be measured with an electronic scale to the nearest 0.1 kg
Waist and hip circumferences pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Waist and hip circumferences will be measured with a non-extendable tape
Waist and hip circumferences post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Waist and hip circumferences will be measured with a non-extendable tape
Core muscle endurance pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Core muscle endurance (trunk flexor, trunk lateral right, trunk lateral left, and trunk extensors) will be assessed through the McGill's torso muscular endurance test battery.
Core muscle endurance post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Core muscle endurance (trunk flexor, trunk lateral right, trunk lateral left, and trunk extensors) will be assessed through the McGill's torso muscular endurance test battery.
Plasma glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerols pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Plasma glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerols (all in mg/dL) will be measured by chemiluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Plasma glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerols post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Plasma glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerols (all in mg/dL) will be measured by chemiluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Plasma amino acid profile pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Plasma amino acid profile (that is, the concentration of each individual amino acid) will be determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Lean mass and fat mass pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Lean mass and fat mass of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Whole body lean, dry lean and fat mass will also be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Body fat % and lean % post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Body fat as a % of total body weight will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Lean as a % of total body weight will be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Lean mass and fat mass post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Lean mass and fat mass of the whole body and its parts (arms, legs, trunk) will be assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Whole body lean, dry lean and fat mass will also be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Full blood count post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Full blood count will be performed by flow cytometry
Plasma enzymes pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Creatine kinase and γ-glutamyltransferase (both in U/L) will be measured by chemiluminescence in an automated analyzer
Plasma enzymes post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Creatine kinase and γ-glutamyltransferase (both in U/L) will be measured by chemiluminescence in an automated analyzer
Cortisol pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Plasma Cortisol (μg/dL) will be measured by immunoluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Cortisol post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Plasma Cortisol (μg/dL) will be measured by immunoluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Progesterone and testosterone pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Plasma progesterone and testosterone (both in ng/dL) will be measured by immunoluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Progesterone and testosterone post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Plasma progesterone and testosterone (both in ng/dL) will be measured by immunoluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Estradiol pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Plasma estradiol (pg/mL) will be measured by immunoluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Estradiol post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Plasma estradiol (pg/mL) will be measured by immunoluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Plasma urea and creatinine pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Plasma urea and creatinine (both in mg/dL) will be measured by chemiluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Plasma urea and creatinine post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Plasma urea and creatinine (both in mg/dL) will be measured by chemiluminescence in an automated analyzer.
Total body water %, intracellular water %, and extracellular water % pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Total body water, intracellular water, and extracellular water (all as % of total body weight) will be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Total body water %, intracellular water %, and extracellular water % post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Total body water, intracellular water, and extracellular water (all as % of total body weight) will be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Total body water, intracellular water, and extracellular water pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Total body water, intracellular water, and extracellular water (all in Lt) will be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Total body water, intracellular water, and extracellular water post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	Total body water, intracellular water, and extracellular water (all in Lt) will be assessed by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Body mass index (BMI) pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation	BMI will be calculated by divinding weight by height squared.
Body mass index (BMI) post-supplementation	Within one week after the end of supplementation.	BMI will be calculated by divinding weight by height squared.
Full blood count pre-supplementation	Within one week before the beginning of supplementation.	Full blood count will be performed by flow cytometry

Countries

Greece

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026