2.1. Study Design and Participants
BRAIN
The research trial employed a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-groups design with two treatment groups. Data collection occurred between April and July 2023 at the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre (BPNRC), situated within Northumbria University. Ethical approval was provided by the Northumbria University Health and Life Sciences Ethics Committee (Reference 3528), with adherence to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki 1975.A sample of 43 volunteers aged 18–45 years (with a mean age 26.35 years) was recruited and randomised into the trial. Two participants discontinued their participation after the initial testing visit, and they were subsequently replaced. The data from the first testing visit of the discontinued participants were retained and included in the final analysis, resulting in a total sample of 43 participants for the acute analysis within Day 1 and 41 participants for the chronic intervention analysis. For an overview of participant enrolment and flow, see It has previously been recommended that a pilot study recruits between 12 and 30 participants per group [