4.3. Study Protocol
BLOOD
Participants recruited for this study were scheduled for three study visits, at least seven days apart. The allocation sequence of three interventions was generated by block randomization (block size of six) using a computer random number generator (Before the first study visit, participants were instructed to follow and record their usual diet and physical activity (PA) over the 3 days preceding the study. Participants were asked to follow the same dietary and PA regimen for 3 days before the next study visit and record their diet and PA again. On each study visit, all participants were instructed to fast for 12 h before their arrival, to freely consume water, and to have at least 7 h of sleep. After arriving at the site (the Human Intervention Suite at the UCD Institute for Food and Health) between 7.30 and 9 and after an initial 10 min rest, blood pressure, heart rate measurements, and anthropometric and body composition assessments were completed. Participants rested for 20 min before providing the first saliva, following which a nurse placed a cannula in an antecubital vein without taking any blood. A second sample of saliva was collected, followed by the baseline blood collection. Participants were then served the test meal (described below), and the time needed to complete consumption was recorded. All participants completed all test meals (100% compliance), and there were no dropouts during the study. Blood samples were collected again at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min after the first bite was reported to have been swallowed. Participants rested in a reclined position and remained sedentary for the duration of the study day. Each visit lasted ~4 h, and following completion, participants were provided with lunch. During each study visit, participants were given a list of common adverse and unexpected effects observed in clinical trials. They were then asked to report if they experienced any of them immediately following consumption, within 24 h after consumption, or anytime between two study visits. The graphical representation of the study design, the CONSORT 2010 checklist, and the CONSORT flow diagram are provided as 