Morning Exercise and Breakfast for Child Development

Overseen By Eduardo Bustamante

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Illinois at Chicago

Disqualifiers: Age, School enrollment, Allergies

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 9

50 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This experiment will test the effects of healthy breakfast and morning exercise on children's focus and classroom behavior. Food and exercise each influence child focus, but little is known about their effects on classroom behavior and less about their combined effects. For one week (Monday-Friday), 10 children will be randomly assigned to receive healthy breakfast and morning exercise, 10 assigned to only healthy breakfast, 10 to only exercise, and 10 to neither. After exercise and breakfast, study staff will assess how focused children are during class-time, ask them to complete puzzle-like tasks, and wear a helmet that measures brain blood flow

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Morning Exercise and Breakfast for Child Development?

Research shows that eating breakfast and doing morning exercise can improve short-term academic and cognitive performance in adolescents, particularly in math tasks and reaction times. Additionally, regular breakfast consumption is linked to better on-task behavior and academic performance in children, especially in those who are undernourished. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is it safe for children to participate in a study involving morning exercise and different types of breakfast?

Research suggests that consuming breakfast, whether high in carbohydrates or protein, is generally safe for children and adolescents. However, the type of breakfast can affect energy levels and metabolic responses, such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which should be monitored. Morning exercise is also generally safe, but individual health conditions should be considered. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How does the treatment of morning exercise and breakfast differ from other treatments for child development?

This treatment is unique because it combines morning exercise with a high-carb or high-protein breakfast to improve cognitive and academic performance in children, unlike other treatments that may focus solely on diet or physical activity separately. The combination has been shown to enhance mathematical task performance and reaction times, offering a holistic approach to child development. ^{1 2 7 8 11}

Research Team

Eduardo Bustamante

Principal Investigator

University of Illinois Chicago

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children to explore how a healthy breakfast and morning exercise might affect their focus and behavior in the classroom. Kids must be able to eat both high-protein and high-carb meals, participate in physical activity, and commit to a one-week study period.

Inclusion Criteria

Enrolled at the participating school

I am between 6 and 11 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Allergic to dairy or gluten

I am older than 12 years.

Not enrolled in a participating school

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

3 visits (in-person)

Baseline Testing

Children's classroom behavior, cognition, and brain blood flow are assessed to establish baseline measurements

1 week

3 visits (in-person)

Intervention

Children receive assigned interventions of breakfast and/or exercise, with classroom behavior and cognitive function monitored

1 week

3 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

1 week

Treatment Details

Interventions

• High Carb Breakfast
• High Protein Breakfast
• Morning Exercise

Trial Overview The study tests the combined effect of a nutritious breakfast and morning exercise on child development. It randomly assigns kids into four groups: both interventions, just breakfast, just exercise, or neither. Their attention during class and brain blood flow are monitored.

Participant Groups

Group I: Exercise and High Protein Breakfast Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Children in this group will be given given breakfast each morning at 7:30 am and participate in a 30-minute bout of physically active games of moderate to vigorous intensity at 8 am. Nutrition Intervention. For 5 days children will receive a high protein breakfast comprised of baked items (i.e. waffles with syrup) and Greek yogurt. The high protein meal will aim for 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% fat. Meals will be served with a cup of water. Exercise Intervention. For 5 days, a 30-min physical activity bout including a 5-minute warm up and cool down will be provided to participants in this group. The aim is for students to achieve an average heart rate above 150 for the session, not including warm up or cool down. To monitor intensity, the participant will wear heart rate monitors around their chest and waist-worn accelerometers

Group II: High Protein Breakfast Only Active Control 1 Intervention

Nutrition Intervention. For 5 days children will receive a high protein breakfast comprised of baked items (i.e. waffles with syrup) and Greek yogurt. The high protein meal will aim for 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% fat. Meals will be served with a cup of water.

Group III: Exercise and High Carb Breakfast Active Control 2 Interventions

Exercise Intervention. For 5 days, a 30-min physical activity bout including a 5-minute warm up and cool down will be provided to participants in this group. The aim is for students to achieve an average heart rate above 150 for the session, not including warm up or cool down. To monitor intensity, the participant will wear heart rate monitors around their chest and waist-worn accelerometers. For 5 days children will receive a high carb breakfast that will be comprised of 15% protein, 65% carbohydrates and 20% fat. Total energy content, fat, sugar, fiber, energy density, are similar between the breakfast meals.

Group IV: High Carb Breakfast Only Placebo Group 1 Intervention

For 5 days children will receive a high carb breakfast that will be comprised of 15% protein, 65% carbohydrates and 20% fat. Total energy content, fat, sugar, fiber, energy density, are similar between the breakfast meals.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Illinois at Chicago

Lead Sponsor

Trials

653

Recruited

1,574,000+

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Collaborator

Trials

203

Recruited

40,600+

References

1. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. [2022]

2. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Breakfast and Exercise Improve Academic and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Review of the Evidence Surrounding the Effects of Breakfast Consumption on Mechanisms of Weight Management. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the Intervention-Based Evidence Surrounding the Causal Role of Breakfast on Markers of Weight Management, with Specific Focus on Breakfast Composition and Size. [2023]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Breakfast consumption and physical activity in British adolescents. [2021]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Is advice for breakfast consumption justified? Results from a short-term dietary and metabolic experiment in young healthy men. [2019]

7. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Breakfast Consumption Suppresses Appetite but Does Not Increase Daily Energy Intake or Physical Activity Energy Expenditure When Compared with Breakfast Omission in Adolescent Girls Who Habitually Skip Breakfast: A 7-Day Randomised Crossover Trial. [2022]

8. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Obesity in Adolescents Who Skip Breakfast Is Not Associated with Physical Activity. [2020]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association of Breakfast Quality and Energy Density with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Overweight/Obese Children: Role of Physical Activity. [2018]

10. Italy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How to exercise to increase lipolysis and insulin sensitivity: Fasting or following a single high-protein breakfast. [2020]

11. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Psychosocial, behavioural, pedagogical, and nutritional proposals about how to encourage eating a healthy breakfast. [2023]