Diet, Metabolic Health, and Exercise Responses
Purpose
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.
Conditions
- Diet Quality
- Metabolic Health
- Cognitive Function
- Exercise Response
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 60 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- 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+). - Willing to complete dietary records and follow pre-visit instructions.
Exclusion Criteria
- 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. Orthopedic injury, mobility limitation, or other physical condition that prevents safe cycling or exercise testing. - Resting heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute. - Resting blood pressure greater than 160/100 mmHg. - Electrocardiogram abnormality requiring further medical evaluation. - Positive PAR-Q+ response or other health-screening finding indicating that medical clearance is required and has not been obtained. - Inability or unwillingness to complete study procedures, fasting requirements, dietary records, or pre-visit restrictions. - Any other condition that, in the judgment of the research team, would make participation unsafe or interfere with valid completion of the study procedures.
Study Design
- Phase
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Cohort
- Time Perspective
- Prospective
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy Adults | Participants aged 18 years and older who meet eligibility criteria will complete assessments of habitual dietary intake, metabolic health, body composition, aerobic fitness, cognitive function, academic engagement, and responses to a standardized moderate-intensity cycling session. All participants will follow the same study procedures. Dietary fat quality and metabolic health will be treated as naturally occurring exposures rather than assigned interventions. |
|
Recruiting Locations
River Falls, Wisconsin 54022
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- University of Wisconsin, River Falls
Detailed Description
Regular physical activity and healthy dietary patterns contribute to the prevention of chronic disease and support cognitive and psychological well-being. Nevertheless, individuals differ considerably in their responses to exercise, including perceived enjoyment, affective responses, motivation to continue exercising, and cognitive performance. These individual differences may influence long-term physical activity participation and adherence, yet the biological and lifestyle factors underlying this variability remain incompletely understood. Habitual dietary fat quality and metabolic health have been independently associated with cardiometabolic function, cognition, and psychological well-being. Greater saturated fat intake and poorer metabolic health have been linked to impaired cognitive performance, increased inflammation, and reduced insulin sensitivity, whereas diets higher in unsaturated fats have been associated with more favorable metabolic and cognitive outcomes. Whether these factors also influence acute psychological and cognitive responses to exercise has received comparatively little attention. The purpose of this prospective observational study is to examine associations among habitual dietary fat quality, metabolic health, cognitive function, and responses to a standardized bout of moderate-intensity exercise in healthy young adults. Habitual dietary intake will be assessed using multiple-day dietary records, and metabolic health will be characterized using anthropometric measurements, fasting glucose, blood lipids, oral glucose tolerance testing, body composition, aerobic fitness, and salivary cortisol. Cognitive function, mental fatigue, concentration, cognitive failures, and academic engagement will also be assessed. Participants will complete a standardized moderate-intensity cycling session during which affective responses, perceived exertion, subjective energy, exercise enjoyment, and motivation for future physical activity will be measured before, during, and after exercise. The exercise session serves as a standardized assessment designed to evaluate individual variability in physiological and psychological responses rather than as an intervention intended to improve health outcomes. The primary objective is to determine whether habitual dietary fat quality and metabolic health are associated with affective responses to exercise. Secondary objectives include examining associations with exercise enjoyment, motivation for future physical activity, cognitive performance, mental fatigue, concentration, academic engagement, and selected physiological measures. Findings from this study may improve understanding of modifiable lifestyle factors associated with exercise adherence, cognitive functioning, and overall health in young adults and inform future behavioral and lifestyle interventions.