Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40739367›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of obesity (2005)2025

The mixed-meal tolerance test as an appetite assay: methodological and practical considerations.

James A King, Alice E Thackray, Catherine Gibbons, Catia Martins, David R Broom, David J Stensel, Dimitris Papamargaritis, Frank Arsenyadis, Graham Finlayson, Gráinne Whelehan and 10 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of obesity (2005), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

James A KingNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK. j.a.king@lboro.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8174-9173
Alice E ThackrayNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7800-3207
Catherine GibbonsSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Catia MartinsDepartment of Nutrition Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4560-0013
David R BroomCentre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0305-937X
David J StenselNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9119-8590
Dimitris PapamargaritisNIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5044-1515
Frank ArsenyadisNIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3885-0548
Graham FinlaysonSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5620-2256
Gráinne WhelehanNIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Javier T GonzalezCentre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism, Department of Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
John BlundellSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7085-9596
Kristine BeaulieuSchool of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8926-6953
Lewis JamesNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
Lore MetzClermont Auvergne University, EA 3533, Laboratory of the Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological Conditions (AME2P), CRNH, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Mark HopkinsSchool of Food Science & Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7655-0215
Masashi MiyashitaNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7656-641X
Scott A WillisNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8624-1427
Vicky DrapeauDepartment of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
David ThivelClermont Auvergne University, EA 3533, Laboratory of the Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological Conditions (AME2P), CRNH, Clermont-Ferrand, France.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4687-3555

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Appetite control is a topic which attracts widespread interest given its importance to energy balance and obesity. In this research area, the mixed-meal tolerance test (MM-TT) has emerged as an 'appetite regulation assay', facilitating the dynamic assessment of appetite parameters (e.g. subjective appetite perceptions, appetite-related hormones, food reward) in response to an individual meal. The MM-TT is commonly employed in observational and experimental studies to examine population differences and intervention effects. Problematically, no practice standard exists for the MM-TT and protocols vary widely. This presents a challenge for researchers designing new MM-TTs and hampers the comparability of findings. Therefore, within this narrative review we sought to identify and discuss key methodological considerations inherent within a MM-TT. The scope of our review extends to evaluating participant familiarisation and methodological standardisation practices, test meal characteristics, appetite perception assessment, blood sampling techniques, measurement of appetite-related hormones and data handling/analysis. A checklist has been devised to summarise relevant methodological issues identified within this review. This checklist can be used as a tool by researchers to facilitate MM-TT design and promote greater standardisation/comparability between studies. This review highlights the need for broader standardisation of MM-TT procedures to support consistency across future research. Additional research is needed to strengthen the evidence base on which various recommendations are made, particularly relating to participant familiarisation and methodological standardisation practices. Additional scrutiny of less common outcomes employed in MM-TTs (not addressed here), such as diet-induced thermogenesis, gastric emptying and ad libitum energy intake, is also needed.

Indexed as

AppetiteAppetite RegulationMealsObesityHumans

Identifiers

PMID40739367
PMCPMC12583139

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.