2.3. Participant Testing with Meal and Exercise Challenges
On the morning of the eighth day of each treatment period, participants reported to NEP’s clinical testing laboratory between 7 and 8 a.m. for combination IC and MTT testing. Following a weigh-in, collection of empty beverage containers, completed daily questionnaires, and a general health check-in, an indwelling catheter was placed in the antecubital vein by a study nurse. Following two baseline blood samplings separated by at least 10 min, participants were given 10 min to consume a challenge meal consisting of 80 g toaster waffles, 80 g pancake syrup, and 177 mL EBJ or PL beverage, in accordance with the preceding week’s treatment assignment. The test meal serving sizes were designed to provide at least 80 g of sugar from whole food sources, which accounted for the sugar content of the respective test beverages (Earlier reports show change in IC during exercise due to berry anthocyanin treatments [