EFFECTS OF PYRROLOQUINOLINE QUINONE (PQQ) SUPPLEMENTATION ON NON-ENDURANCE TRAINED ATHLETES

NCT ID: NCT07148726

Last Updated: 2025-09-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 24 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-08-15

Brief Summary

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of six weeks of PQQ supplementation in non-endurance-trained individuals on:

1. physiological and metabolic response during a FATmax-VO₂peak exercise test

2. resting energy expenditure, body composition and blood biomarkers (fasting glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels)

3. blood and urine omics markers of oxidative metabolism 24 basketball players will be randomized to consume a supplement containing 20 mg/day of PQQ or placebo (PLA) during a six-week intervention. Subjects will be encouraged to maintain their usual diet and training schedule. Body composition will be assessed by dual-energy-x-ray-absorptiometry and bioimpedance analysis. Aerobic exercise performance will be evaluated through a graded exercise protocol (six 5-minutes steps followed by n 2-minutes steps until exhaustion; the initial workload was 60 watts and increased by 35 watts at the end of each step) performed on a cycle ergometer. Capillary blood lactate samples were collected at the end of each step. Blood and urine samples were also collected, and metabolomics analysis will be performed.

Conditions

Mitochondrial Biogenesis; Inflammation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

PQQ GROUP

PQQ supplemented participants will receive 20mg/PQQ die

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Pyrrole Quinoline Quinone (PQQ)

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Subjects will be provided with 84 capsules of the PQQ or the placebo supplement. Both supplements were in capsule form and identical in size, shape and color. The PQQ content per capsule was 10 mg. The indication was to take two capsules every evening for 6 weeks. The duration of the supplementation protocol was assessed based on a previous study (Hwang et al., 2020), while the dose was chosen according to EFSA recommendations (Turck et al., 2017).

PLACEBO GROUP

participants will be given a placebo for 36 days

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type: OTHER

Subjects were provided with 84 capsules of placebo. The indication will be to take two capsules every evening for 6 weeks.

Interventions

Pyrrole Quinoline Quinone (PQQ)

Subjects will be provided with 84 capsules of the PQQ or the placebo supplement. Both supplements were in capsule form and identical in size, shape and color. The PQQ content per capsule was 10 mg. The indication was to take two capsules every evening for 6 weeks. The duration of the supplementation protocol was assessed based on a previous study (Hwang et al., 2020), while the dose was chosen according to EFSA recommendations (Turck et al., 2017).

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo

Subjects were provided with 84 capsules of placebo. The indication will be to take two capsules every evening for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 1) Age: Participants aged between 18 and 40 years.
• 2) Body mass index (BMI): BMI within the range of 18-30 kg/m².
• 4) Physical activity: Regular engagement in non-endurance physical activities (3-4 times a week), with no participation in structured endurance training programs.

Exclusion Criteria

• 1) chronic disease;
• 2) acute illness; and
• 3) use of dietary supplements, pharmacological agents, or adherence to a hypocaloric diet.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Padova

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Nutrition and Exercise Lab, DSB, University of Padova

Padua, Italy, Italy

Countries

Italy

Other Identifiers

HEC-DSB/05-21

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id