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. 2021 Nov 3;46(2):255–268. doi: 10.1038/s41366-021-00993-1

Table 1.

Participant and intervention characteristics of included studies.

Author Participant characteristics Comparison(s) Standardised meal characteristics(pre-exercise) Standardised meal characteristics (post-exercise) Exercise characteristics Meal-Exercise & Exercise-Meal interval (minutes) Outcomes reported
Bachman et al. [51] 12 males FastEx + NoMeal vs FedEx + NoMeal 2298 kJ N/A treadmill 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, 24-h energy intake, subjective hunger
Age: 20.8 ± 3.0 114 g CHO, 7 g FAT, 14 g PRO 60 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 22.7 ± 2.6 60% V̇O2 max N/A
V̇O2 max: 59.1 ± 5.7
Bennard & Doucet [52]a 8 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1674 kJ 1674 kJ treadmill 45 energy expenditure
Age: 24.5 ± 2.1 80 g CHO 80 g CHO 42 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 23.8 ± 1.9 50% V̇O2 max 20
V̇O2 max: 54.0 ± 5.4
Bennard & Doucet [52]b 8 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1674 kJ 1674 kJ treadmill 45 energy expenditure
Age: 24.5 ± 2.1 80 g CHO 80 g CHO 42 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 23.8 ± 1.9 50% V̇O2 max 20
V̇O2 max: 54.0 ± 5.4
Broad et al. [53] 10 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 2440 kJ 2440 kJ treadmill 60 24-h energy intake, energy expenditure
Age: 21.3 ± 2.0 108 g CHO, 12 g FAT, 21 g PRO 108 g CHO, 12 g FAT, 21 g PRO 8 ×15 secs, 120 secs rest - - - - - - -
BMI: 25.7 ± 2.9 All out 30
V̇O2 max: 48.3 ± 3.5
Brown et al. [54] 13 females FedEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 10% daily energy requirements 1360 kJ cycle ergometer 180 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, subjective hunger, glucagon-like peptide 1
Age: 23.0 ± 4.0 78.6 g CHO 60 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 23.1 ± 2.9 65% V̇O2 max 0
V̇O2 max: 43.5 ± 11.6
Cheng et al. [55] 12 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 5675 kJ 5675 kJ cycle ergometer 120 subjective hunger, peptide YY
Age: 24.6 ± 4.8 88 g CHO, 105 g FAT, 14 g PRO 88 g CHO, 105 g FAT, 14 g PRO 50 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 59.2 ± 8.1 60% V̇O2 max 60
Clayton et al. [56] 12 males FedEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1810 kJ 529 kJ cycle ergometer 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake
Age: 24.0 ± 2.0 31 g CHO 60 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 23.2 ± 1.4 30 mins at 65% V̇O2 max, 10
V̇O2 max: 52.0 ± 8.0 5 ×3 min at 85% V̇O2 max, 2 min rest
Davis et al. [57]a 7 females FastEx + NoMeal vs FedEx + NoMeal 3807 kJ 3807 kJ treadmill 20 energy expenditure
Age: 24.0 ± 2.4 132 g CHO, 22 g FAT, 45 g PRO 132 g CHO, 22 g FAT, 45 g PRO 20 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 49.9 ± 1.8 60% V̇O2 max 10
Davis et al. [57]b 7 females FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 3807 kJ 3807 kJ treadmill 20 energy expenditure
Age: 24.0 ± 2.4 132 g CHO, 22 g FAT, 45 g PRO 132 g CHO, 22 g FAT, 45 g PRO 20 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 49.9 ± 1.8 60% V̇O2 max 10
Davis et al. [57]c 7 females FastEx + NoMeal vs FastEx + Meal 3807 kJ 3807 kJ treadmill 20 energy expenditure
Age: 24.0 ± 2.4 132 g CHO, 22 g FAT, 45 g PRO 132 g CHO, 22 g FAT, 45 g PRO 20 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 49.9 ± 1.8 60% V̇O2 max 10
Edinburgh et al. [32] 12 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + Meal 1803 kJ 1255 kJ cycle ergometer 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, 24-h energy intake, energy expenditure
Age: 23.0 ± 3 65 g CHO, 11 g FAT, 19 g PRO 75 g CHO 60 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 23.6 ± 2.0 50% PPO 0
V̇O2 max: 53.0 ± 10.0
Farah & Gill [58] 10 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1927 kJ 1927 kJ treadmill 30 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, energy expenditure, subjective hunger
Age: 28.1 ± 10.7 56 g CHO, 19 g FAT, 16 g PRO 56 g CHO, 19 g FAT, 16 g PRO 60 mins - - - - - - -
50% V̇O2 max 30
BMI: 29.0 ± 2.8
V̇O2 max: 39.1 ± 5.4
Gonzalez et al. [59] 12 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + Meal 1857 kJ 1500 kJ treadmill 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, subjective hunger, glucagon-like peptide 1
Age: 23.2 ± 4.3 67 g CHO, 11 g FAT, 19 g PRO 56 g CHO, 8 g FAT, 16 g PRO 59 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 53.1 ± 5.5 61% V̇O2 max 20
Griffiths et al. [60]a 12 males FastEx + NoMeal vs FedEx + NoMeal 2238 kJ N/A treadmill 60 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, subjective hunger, acyl-ghrelin
Age: 23.0 ± 3.0 78 g CHO, 14 g FAT, 24 g PRO 60 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 53.0 ± 8.6 40%, 50%, 60% V̇O2 max N/A
(20 min each)
Griffiths et al. [60]b 12 males FastEx + NoMeal vs FedEx + NoMeal 2238 kJ N/A treadmill 60 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, subjective hunger, acyl-ghrelin
Age: 23.0 ± 3.0 78 g CHO, 14 g FAT, 24 g PRO 60 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 53.0 ± 8.6 40%, 50%, 60% V̇O2 max N/A
(20 min each)
Hunschede et al. [61] 30 males FastEx + NoMeal vs FedEx + NoMeal 952 kJ N/A treadmill 10 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake
Age: 17.2 ± 3.3 57 g CHO 3 ×20 mins, 5 mins rest - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 43.5 ± 9.0 47% V̇O2 max N/A
McIver et al. [62] 12 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + Meal 733 kJ 1013 kJ treadmill 60 subjective hunger, acyl-ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1, peptide YY
Age: 26.0 ± 5.0 30 g CHO, 3 g FAT, 7 g PRO 25 g CHO, 12 g FAT, 8 g PRO 45 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 27.0 ± 4.0 50% V̇O2 max 30
V̇O2 max: 39.0 ± 6.0
McIver et al. [63] 12 males FastEx + Meal vs FedEx + Meal 1438 kJ 1584 kJ treadmill 60 24-h energy intake, subjective hunger
Age: 25.0 ± 3.0 48 g CHO,10 g FAT, 11 g PRO 66 g CHO, 7 g FAT, 9 g PRO 45 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 26.0 ± 4.0 55% V̇O2 max 30
V̇O2 max: 39.0 ± 4.0
Tamam et al. [64]a 18 males FedEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1272 kJ 745 kJ treadmill 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake
Age: 12.4 ± 1.3 45 g CHO 15 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 21.6 ± 3.0 VT 5
Tamam et al. [64]b 17 males FedEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1272 kJ 854 kJ treadmill 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake
Age: 11.0 ± 1.2 51 g CHO 15 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 19.3 ± 4.1 VT 5
Tamam et al. [64]c 19 males FedEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 1272 kJ 782 kJ treadmill 120 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake
Age: 12.4 ± 1.7 47 g CHO 15 mins - - - - - - -
V̇O2 max: 21.4 ± 2.6 25% above VT 5
Thivel et al. [65] 6 males, 8 females FedEx + Meal vs FedEx + NoMeal 2092 kJ 741 kJ cycle ergometer 105 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, subjective hunger
Age: 12.8 ± 0.9 30 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 34.8 ± 5.7 65% V̇O2 max 0
V̇O2 max: 22.3 ± 4.2
Veasey et al. [43] 24 females FastEx + NoMeal vs FedEx + NoMeal 984 kJ N/A treadmill 45 ad libitum meal energy intake, within-lab energy intake, 24-h energy intake, subjective hunger
Age: 20.9 ± 2.3 38 g CHO, 3.6 g FAT, 9 g PRO 30 mins - - - - - - -
BMI: 21.9 ± 1.9 65% HRR N/A

a.b.c denote sub-studies. Participant characteristic (units): years (age), BMI (kg/m2) and V̇O2 max (ml/min/kg).

Meal-Exercise interval the time between the consumption of a standardised meal and commencement of exercise (number above dotted line), Exercise-Meal interval the time between completion of exercise and consumption of a standardised meal (number below dotted line), FastEx + Meal fasted exercise with a standardised meal, FastEx + NoMeal fasted exercise without a standardised meal, FedEx + Meal fed exercise with a standardised meal, FedtEx + NoMeal fed exercise without a standardised meal, CHO carbohydrate, HRR heart rate reserve, N/A not applicable, PPO peak power output, PRO protein, VT ventilatory threshold.