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NCT Number: NCT07668596

Independent and Combined Effects of Short-term Sulforaphane Supplementation and Exercise on Immunometabolism in Healthy Adults

The study consist of 3 interventional periods which will be completed by each consenting participant in a randomized, crossover fashion. The interventional periods will be separated by a minimum 1 week washout period. One of the interventions consists of 4 days of daily supplementation with the commercially available broccoli sprout extract capsules (BrocElite). Another intervention will consist of 4 days of daily supervised treadmill running. The exercise protocol consists of 4 minutes of high-intensity running running followed by a 3 minute recovery period, repeated for a total of 4 repetitions. The last intervention combines the above two and consists of 4 days of daily supplementation and daily supervised exercise training. Before and after each intervention, basic anthropometrics (weight, heart rate, and blood pressure) will be recorded, and a venous blood sample will be collected. Blood samples will be analyzed for metabolic and inflammatory markers. Participants will be asked to refrain from structured exercise, alcohol consumption, and broccoli consumption during each of the experimental periods. Before any testing, willing participants will provide informed consent, and fill out a few demographic, and lifestyle questionnaires. The study will be conducted at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

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Key information

Conditions

Immunometabolism Behavior Inflammation Mitochondrial Function, Bioenergetics Motor Activity Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

19 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Reichwald Health Sciences Centre

Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7, Canada

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Sean McIntyre

CONTACT

[email protected]

2505757528

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • aged between 19 and 35 years
  • not a current smoker
  • physically active based on the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (150 minutes of weekly physical activity)

Exclusion criteria

  • a history of cardiometabolic diseases or respiratory diseases (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, coronary artery disease)
  • currently following a ketogenic diet
  • body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m2
  • unable to read or communicate in English
  • having received a vaccination or experienced an upper respiratory tract infection in the last 4 weeks
  • having donated more than 0.5 L of blood within the last 4 weeks
  • currently pregnant
  • have contraindications to high intensity exercise (assessed using the CSEP Get Active Questionnaire)

Treatment and study plan

Sulforaphane-rich Broccoli Sprout Extract

Dietary Supplement

Broc Elite Plus stabilized sulforaphane capsules from Mara Labs

High Intensity Interval Treadmill Running

Other

4 cycles of: 4 minutes of intense treadmill running (85-95% HR max) followed by 3 minutes of slow, easy running.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in peripheral blood mononuclear cell oxygen consumption rate

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    OCR will be measured using a Seahorse Analyzer before and after each 4-day intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. TNF-alpha secretion from LPS-stimulated whole blood

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    TNF-alpha secretion from LPS-stimulated whole blood will be measured via ELISA before and after each 4-day period

  2. Change in percentage of classical monocytes before and after the 6-week intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    The percentage of classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention

  3. Change in percentage of intermediate monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    The percentage of intermediate monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention

  4. Change in percentage of non-classical monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    The percentage of non-classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention

  5. Change in TLR-4 expression on classical monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    TLR-4 expression on classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention.

  6. Change in TLR-4 expression on intermediate monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    TLR-4 expression on intermediate monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention.

  7. Change in TLR-4 expression on non-classical monocytes before and after the 4-day intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    TLR-4 expression on non-classical monocytes will be measured using flow cytometry at baseline and after the 4-day intervention

  8. Change in white blood cell counts before and after the 4-day intervention

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    White blood cell counts will be measured using a hematology analyzer at baseline and after the 4-day intervention

  9. TNF-alpha secretion from PolyIC-stimulated whole blood

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    TNF-alpha secretion from PolyIC-stimulated whole blood will be measured via ELISA before and after each 4-day period

  10. Change in peripheral blood mononuclear cell extracellular acidification rate before and after the 4-day period

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    PBMC ECAR will be measured using a Seahorse Analyzer at baseline and after the 4-day intervention

  11. Change in PBMC mitotracker green staining before and after the 4-day period

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    PBMC mitotracker green will be measured using flow cytometry before and after the 4-day intervention period

  12. Change in PBMC mitoSOX red staining before and after the 4-day period

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    PBMC mitoSOX red will be measured using flow cytometry before and after the 4-day intervention period

  13. Change in PBMC mitochondrial respiration before and after the 4-day intervention period

    Time frame: 0-4 days

    PBMC mitochondrial respiration will be measured using high-resolution respirometry before and after the 4-day period

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Hashim Islam Principle Investigator, Ph.D

CONTACT

[email protected]

250-807-9122

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of British Columbia

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Independent and Combined Effects of Short-term Sulforaphane Supplementation and Exercise on Immunometabolism in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study

Acronym: EXSFN

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Jun 25, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 17, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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