Participants
Healthy male volunteers were recruited from local advertisement and from the Oxford Biobank (reference 08/H0606/107). Participants were recruited if they met the following inclusion criteria: male, aged 18–60 years with a BMI of 20-30 kg/mIn this early phase study, the decision was made to recruit only male participants to avoid the complicating issues of changes in metabolic phenotype across the menstrual cycle or through the use of hormonal contraception. This is important, not only due to the impact of oestrogen on metabolic phenotype, but also its impact on steroid hormone binding globulins that have the potential to modify GC action. In addition, due to the stringent requirements for the necessity of contraception in female participants that may have included hormonal treatment that could not be stopped and may impact upon metabolic outcomes, only male participants were recruited.