2.3. Characteristics of the Subjects and Experimental Setting
The group studied consisted of 7 healthy volunteers, 5 females and 2 males, non-smokers, aged 26.9 ± 3.0 years, mean BMI 22.0 ± 1.5 kg/mThe study was three-armed, randomized, and conducted in a single-blind crossover, with day A, B, and C indicating only the performed activity and not the consecutive days.The volunteers were randomly numerated from 1 to 10 and divided into three groups (group 1: numbers 1, 3; group 2: numbers 4, 7; and group 3: numbers 8, 9, 10) and alternatively assigned to the three experimental sessions with one week of wash-out, following the scheme reported in In experimental session A, subjects took the RBJ at rest. In experimental session B, the subjects took the juice and performed their 30 min scheduled physical activity with a cycle ergometer, while in experimental session C they performed the same physical activity after the consumption of a placebo, which was composed of 7 g of sugar, 180 mL of water, and 20 mL of RBJ, making the placebo visually more similar to RBJ and hence not recognizable.The subjects performed a scheduled exercise with a cycle ergometer both 1 h after the RBJ intake (session B) and 1 h after placebo intake (session C).For each experimental session, five time points were considered for urine sample collection: T0, first urine in the morning at fast; T1, immediately before RBJ or placebo intake; T2, 120 min after the RBJ or placebo intake; T3, 180 min after RBJ or placebo intake; and T4, 240 min after the intake.The study protocol conformed to the ethical guidelines of the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki, and it was approved by the Region Abruzzo Ethical Committee, ASL1 L’Aquila and Teramo districts, VERBALE—n° 23/CE/2016. All subjects provided their written informed consent to participate in the study.