Diet, Metabolic Health, and Exercise Responses
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-60
SponsorUniversity of Wisconsin, River Falls
About this trial
Regular physical activity, healthy dietary habits, and good metabolic health are associated with numerous physical and cognitive health benefits. However, individuals vary substantially in their affective, motivational, and cognitive responses to exercise, and the factors contributing to this variability are not fully understood.
This prospective observational study will examine whether habitual dietary fat quality and metabolic health are associated with exercise responses, cognitive function, and academic-related outcomes in healthy young adults. Participants will complete assessments of dietary intake, body composition, metabolic health, aerobic fitness, cognitive function, and academic engagement. They will also complete a standardized moderate-intensity cycling session during which affective responses, exercise enjoyment, subjective energy, and motivation for future physical activity will be assessed.
The findings will improve understanding of how habitual dietary habits and metabolic health may influence responses to exercise and cognitive functioning and may help inform future lifestyle recommendations aimed at promoting physical activity participation, cognitive performance, and overall health.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Age 18 years or older.
Able to provide written informed consent.
Able and willing to complete two laboratory visits, dietary recording, cognitive assessments, and exercise testing.
Able to safely complete submaximal exercise testing and a 30-minute moderate-intensity cycling session, as determined by health-history screening and the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire Plus (PAR-Q+).
Disqualifiers
Known cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, neurological, psychiatric, or other medical condition that could make exercise testing or moderate-intensity exercise unsafe or substantially affect study outcomes.
Current pregnancy.
Current smoking.
Medication use that could substantially affect metabolic, cardiovascular, cognitive, or exercise-response outcomes, as determined by the investigators.
Trial population
The study population consists of generally healthy young adults recruited from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the surrounding community. Participants will be at least 18 years of age and able to safely complete laboratory-based exercise testing and study procedures. The study is designed to include individuals with a broad range of habitual dietary fat intake, metabolic health characteristics, physical activity levels, and aerobic fitness to examine associations between these naturally occurring differences and cognitive function, academic engagement, and affective, motivational, and physiological responses to a standardized bout of moderate-intensity exercise.
Trial design
Design model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Standardized Moderate-Intensity Cycling Session
BehavioralParticipants will complete a standardized 30-minute moderate-intensity cycling session on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. Exercise intensity will be prescribed at approximately 50-60% heart rate reserve (Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion 11-13). Heart rate, perceived exertion, affective responses, exercise enjoyment, subjective energy, and motivation will be assessed before, during, immediately after, and following exercise. The cycling session is conducted as a standardized assessment procedure for all participants and is not assigned as an experimental intervention.
Treatment groups
100 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Healthy Adults1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Affective Valence During and After Exercise
Affective valence will be assessed using the single-item Feeling Scale. Scores range from -5 ("very bad") to +5 ("very good"), with 0 representing "neutral." Higher scores indicate more positive affective valence and therefore a better affective response.
Time frame
Immediately before exercise; at minutes 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 during the 30-minute cycling session; immediately after exercise; and 30 minutes after exercise2
Perceived Arousal During and After Exercise
Perceived arousal will be assessed using the single-item Felt Arousal Scale. Scores range from 1 ("low arousal") to 6 ("high arousal"). Higher scores indicate greater perceived arousal and are not inherently a better or worse outcome.
Time frame
Immediately before exercise; at minutes 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 during the 30-minute cycling session; immediately after exercise; and 30 minutes after exercise3
Positive Affect Before and After Exercise
Positive affect will be assessed using the five-item positive-affect subscale of the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form. The five items are summed to produce a score ranging from 5 to 25. Higher scores indicate greater positive affect and therefore a better affective response.
Time frame
Immediately before exercise, immediately after the 30-minute cycling session, and 30 minutes after exercise4
Negative Affect Before and After Exercise
Negative affect will be assessed using the five-item negative-affect subscale of the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form. The five items are summed to produce a score ranging from 5 to 25. Higher scores indicate greater negative affect and therefore a worse affective response.
Time frame
Immediately before exercise, immediately after the 30-minute cycling session, and 30 minutes after exerciseSecondary outcomes
1
Exercise Enjoyment
Exercise enjoyment will be assessed using the 8-item Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale-Short Form (PACES-SF). After reverse-scoring negatively worded items, responses are summed to produce a total score ranging from 8 to 56. Higher scores indicate greater exercise enjoyment and therefore a better outcome.
Time frame
Immediately after the 30-minute cycling session and 30 minutes after the cycling session2
Desire to Move
Momentary desire to move will be assessed using the Move subscale of the Cravings for Rest and Volitional Energy Expenditure (CRAVE) scale. Item responses are averaged to produce a score ranging from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate a greater momentary desire to move but are not inherently a better or worse health outcome.
Time frame
Immediately before the 30-minute cycling session, immediately after the cycling session, and 30 minutes after the cycling session3
Desire to Rest
Momentary desire to rest will be assessed using the Rest subscale of the Cravings for Rest and Volitional Energy Expenditure (CRAVE) scale. Item responses are averaged to produce a score ranging from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate a greater momentary desire to rest but are not inherently a better or worse health outcome.
Time frame
Immediately before the 30-minute cycling session, immediately after the cycling session, and 30 minutes after the cycling session4
Everyday Cognitive Failures
Everyday cognitive functioning will be assessed using the 25-item Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). Items are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a greater frequency of everyday cognitive failures and therefore a worse outcome.
Time frame
At baseline, before the exercise-testing proceduresOther outcomes
1
Academic Engagement
Academic engagement will be assessed using the 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-S-9). The instrument assesses vigor, dedication, and absorption in academic activities. Items are scored from 0 ("never") to 6 ("always/every day"), and the mean of the nine items is calculated to produce an overall score ranging from 0 to 6. Higher scores indicate greater academic engagement and therefore a better outcome.
Time frame
At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedure2
Mean Reaction Time
Reaction time will be assessed using the computerized Psychomotor Vigilance Task. Mean reaction time for valid responses will be reported in milliseconds. Higher values indicate slower reaction time and therefore worse cognitive performance.
Time frame
At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedures3
Attention Lapses
Sustained attention will be assessed using the computerized Psychomotor Vigilance Task. Attention lapses will be defined as responses with a reaction time of 500 milliseconds or longer and reported as the number of lapses during the task. A higher number of lapses indicates worse sustained-attention performance.
Time frame
At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedures4
Saturated Fat Intake
Habitual saturated fat intake will be estimated from a 5-day dietary record completed using Cronometer. Intake will be averaged across recorded days and reported in grams per day. Higher values indicate greater saturated fat intake.
Time frame
Over 5 days before the standardized cycling sessionSponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov