Not yet recruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

The Effect of Hydration on Postprandial Metabolic Responses

This study is investigating how mild dehydration, especially after exercise, affects how your body handles food. We know that not drinking enough water can make you feel tired or affect your thinking, but its impact on your metabolism, like your blood sugar and insulin levels after a meal, isn't fully understood. With global temperatures rising and conditions like type 2 diabetes becoming more common, understanding this link is really important. The aim is to see if not drinking enough water changes how your body processes a meal, which could eventually lead to new guidance for staying healthy, whether you're working in hot conditions, exercising, or just going about your daily life.

At a glance

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Loughborough University

Enrolment target

Start

01 Mar 2025

Estimated completion

01 Dec 2025

Glycaemia

What is this study about?

This research wants to find out more about how not drinking enough water (which doctors call 'dehydration') affects your body's response to food. When you eat, your body breaks down the food, and this causes changes in things like your blood sugar. Scientists know a lot about how dehydration can make you feel tired or make it harder to concentrate.

However, they don't fully understand how being a bit dehydrated, especially after exercise, changes the way your body processes a meal. For example, does it make your blood sugar levels go up more, or stay high for longer? This kind of information is becoming more important because global temperatures are rising, and conditions like type 2 diabetes, which affects blood sugar, are becoming more common.

By understanding this better, experts could develop new advice on how much water people should drink to stay healthy, not just in extreme situations like working in very hot places or during intense sports, but also as part of everyday health. This study specifically looks at changes in blood sugar and insulin (a hormone that helps control blood sugar) after someone has eaten, following a period of not drinking much water.

Key takeaways

This study explores how dehydration affects blood sugar after meals.
It aims to help create better hydration guidelines for various situations.
Participants need to be fit, healthy, and regularly active.
It excludes people with existing health conditions, smokers, and vapers.
You won't be given any new medicines, only asked to adjust water intake.

Who may be eligible?

To take part in this study, you need to be a generally fit and healthy man or woman between the ages of 18 and 45. You should also be fairly active, meaning you exercise at least three times a week for sports like running or cycling, or do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week (which is about 2.5 hours).

However, you can't take part if you are younger than 18 or older than 45. You also can't join if you have any health problems that might affect the study results, such as issues with your glands, liver, kidneys, or heart. If any health condition makes it difficult for you to cycle, you won't be able to participate either. Finally, if you smoke or use e-cigarettes ('vape'), this study is not suitable for you.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you between 18 and 45 years old?
Are you generally fit and healthy?
Do you exercise regularly (e.g., 3 times a week or 2.5 hours moderate activity per week)?
Do you NOT have any long-term health conditions (like heart, kidney, or gland problems)?
Are you NOT a smoker or a vaper?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

The detailed information about what taking part involves is not provided in the summary. Typically, studies like this might involve a few visits to a research centre. You might be asked to do some exercise (to cause mild dehydration) and then have a specific meal. Researchers would then take blood samples at different times to measure your blood sugar and insulin levels. You might also be asked to keep a record of what you eat and drink. The total duration of your involvement could range from a single day to a few weeks, depending on the study design.

Potential risks and benefits

A potential benefit of taking part is that you would contribute valuable information to medical science, which could help millions of people in the future, particularly regarding hydration and metabolic health. You might also learn more about your own body's responses. Potential risks could include discomfort from blood tests or from being mildly dehydrated, though researchers would closely monitor your well-being. You would always have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Loughborough University
Verified postcode
Loughborough, United Kingdom

Common questions

What is 'glycaemia'?

Glycaemia simply refers to the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood.

What does 'postprandial' mean?

'Postprandial' means after eating a meal.

Will I be given any medication in this study?

No, this study is about water intake, not medication. You'll either drink water or limit your water intake.

Why can't smokers or vapers take part?

Smoking and vaping can affect your body's metabolism and blood vessel health, which could interfere with the study's results.

Is this study suitable for people with diabetes?

No, this study is for generally healthy people and excludes anyone with health conditions that might affect study results, including diabetes.

How to find out more

Lewis J James, PhD

l.james@lboro.ac.uk +44 (0) 1509 226305 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.