Purpose: To evaluate the influence of probiotic supplementation on body composition and other markers of health in occupational shift-workers. Participants: Healthy, overweight females (ages 22-55 yrs) who are employed on a shift-working schedule. Procedures (methods): In a randomized, placebo-controlled intervention, subjects will complete 3 different testing sessions (pre-screening, 1 baseline, 1 post-testing session) as well as a 6-week intervention period. Prescreening will include written informed consent, a health history questionnaire, baseline anthropometric measures, assessment of resting heart rate, and exercise protocol familiarization. Baseline testing will involve body composition, a fasted blood draw, mood surveys, and an exercise treadmill test. Subjects will be randomized to a treatment group (multi-strain probiotic or placebo) for 6 weeks of supplementation that includes 2 electronic contacts, followed by post-testing that will occur in the same fashion as baseline testing.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
45
Applied Physiology Laboratory
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Visceral Fat
measured by ultrasound
Time frame: 6 weeks
Ratio of fat in the abdominal region vs. hip region
Measured from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry
Time frame: 6 weeks
Body Fat
measured from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry
Time frame: 6 weeks
Lean body mass
measured from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry
Time frame: 6 weeks
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.