Exploratory visualisations
We first examined the metabolite panels for broad patterns of variability that might underpin physiologically relevant changes as a result of feeding regimen; time since admission or time of day. Although a few observations from each panel were clustering out with others, along the main two axes of variation (PC1—explaining between 40 and 60% of variance and PC2—explaining 6 and 8% of variance) no broad patterns distinguished between intermittent or continuous feeding arms, across intra-day sampling times or over the 10 days from initial ICU admission (Fig. (