The Impact of Physical Activity Versus Dietary Energy Restriction on Tumour and Muscle Protein Synthesis in Prostate Cancer Patients

NCT ID: NCT06406803

Last Updated: 2026-01-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 45 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-12
• Study Completion Date: 2026-02-28

Brief Summary

Background: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of death in men worldwide. Tumour growth is attributed to disproportionately greater protein synthesis rates relative to protein breakdown rates. Tumour protein synthesis is modulated by several factors, including energy availability, blood flow, and hormone concentrations (e.g., IGF-1). Lifestyle modifications are rapidly becoming recognized as important adjunct therapeutic approaches to slow cancer development and enhance treatment efficacy. Dietary energy restriction is a 30-50% reduction in food intake, which induces an energy deficit and has been shown to attenuate tumour growth in rodent models. Muscle mass often declines during cancer treatment and negatively impacts treatment success rates and recovery. One drawback to dietary energy restriction is that it may accelerate declines in skeletal muscle mass and strength in cancer patients. Exercise also induces an energy deficit by increasing energy expenditure. In addition, exercise alters blood flow and releases circulating molecules, which appear to lower tumour protein synthesis rates. Exercise increases muscle protein synthesis rates, which would provide further benefits to cancer patients by helping to maintain skeletal muscle mass. Despite their promising therapeutic properties, the clinical efficacy of dietary energy restriction and exercise has not been directly determined in vivo in cancer patients.

Hypothesis and Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare the impact of dietary energy restriction versus (isocaloric) daily exercise on muscle, prostate, and prostate tumour protein synthesis rates over a 7-day period in vivo in prostate cancer patients.

It is hypothesized that 1) dietary energy restriction will lower both prostate tumour and muscle tissue protein synthesis rates and that 2) daily exercise will lower prostate tumour protein synthesis rates but increase muscle protein synthesis rates in prostate cancer patients.

Setting and Methods: Forty-five prostate cancer patients scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group will undergo 7 days of dietary energy restriction (40% less food intake). The second group will perform 7 days of daily exercise and mild dietary energy restriction resulting in a total energy deficit of 40%. The third group will follow their regular diet and physical activity (control group). The research team will provide all aspects of the intervention (standardized meals, personalized exercise supervision). Patients will ingest deuterium-labelled water (2H2O) throughout the intervention period. After 7 days, patients will undergo a radical prostatectomy, during which tumour tissue, skeletal muscle tissue, and blood will be collected. Deuterium (2H-alanine) incorporation into the tissue samples will be measured to assess prostate tumour and skeletal muscle tissue protein synthesis rates.

Conditions

Cancer of Prostate

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Dietary energy restriction

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Dietary energy restriction

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Patients enrolled in the dietary energy restriction group will reach an energy deficit of 40% only through reduced dietary intake.

Daily exercise

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Daily exercise

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Patients in the daily exercise group will reach an energy deficit of 40% through reduced dietary intake and increased physical activity (exercise).

Control

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Dietary energy restriction

Patients enrolled in the dietary energy restriction group will reach an energy deficit of 40% only through reduced dietary intake.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Daily exercise

Patients in the daily exercise group will reach an energy deficit of 40% through reduced dietary intake and increased physical activity (exercise).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Diagnosed with prostate cancer (Stages I-III)
• Scheduled to undergo a prostatectomy
• BMI between 18.5-35 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria

• Receiving pre-operative chemo, hormonal, radio therapy
• Physically unable to perform the exercise program
• Performing >300 min of moderate-vigorous physical activity per week (e.g., running, road cycling, swimming).

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Jessa Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Maastricht University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Jessa Ziekenhuis

Hasselt, , Belgium

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Belgium

Facility Contacts

Dion Houtvast

Role: primary

dion.houtvast@maastrichtuniversity.nl

+31 88 388 7278

Other Identifiers

f/2023/047

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id