Diet, Metabolic Health, and Exercise Responses

NCT07728240 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026-72
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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

Keywords

Dietary fat quality; Metabolic health; Exercise affect; Exercise motivation; Cognitive function; Exercise enjoyment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• 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.

  Immediately before exercise; at minutes 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 during the 30-minute cycling session; immediately after exercise; and 30 minutes after exercise

• 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.

  Immediately before exercise; at minutes 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 during the 30-minute cycling session; immediately after exercise; and 30 minutes after exercise

• 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.

  Immediately before exercise, immediately after the 30-minute cycling session, and 30 minutes after exercise

• 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.

  Immediately before exercise, immediately after the 30-minute cycling session, and 30 minutes after exercise

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Exercise Enjoyment

  Immediately after the 30-minute cycling session and 30 minutes after the cycling session

• Desire to Move

  Immediately before the 30-minute cycling session, immediately after the cycling session, and 30 minutes after the cycling session

• Desire to Rest

  Immediately before the 30-minute cycling session, immediately after the cycling session, and 30 minutes after the cycling session

• Everyday Cognitive Failures

  At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedures

• Estimated Maximal Oxygen Consumption

  At baseline, during the submaximal graded cycle-ergometer test

Other Outcomes (13)

• Academic Engagement

  At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedure

• Mean Reaction Time

  At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedures

• Attention Lapses

  At baseline, before the exercise-testing procedures

Study Arms (1)

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.

Behavioral: Standardized Moderate-Intensity Cycling Session

Interventions

Standardized Moderate-Intensity Cycling Session BEHAVIORAL

Participants 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.

Healthy Adults

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study 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.

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Wisconsin, River Falls: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin, 54022, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

• Hartman ME, Hernandez J. The Assessment of Affective Responses within Exercise Prescription: A Narrative Review. Int J Sports Med. 2023 Jul;44(8):558-567. doi: 10.1055/a-2029-8337. Epub 2023 Feb 7.

  PMID: 36750220 BACKGROUND

• Ekkekakis P, Parfitt G, Petruzzello SJ. The pleasure and displeasure people feel when they exercise at different intensities: decennial update and progress towards a tripartite rationale for exercise intensity prescription. Sports Med. 2011 Aug 1;41(8):641-71. doi: 10.2165/11590680-000000000-00000.

  PMID: 21780850 BACKGROUND

• Ekkekakis P, Hall EE, Petruzzello SJ. Practical markers of the transition from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism during exercise: rationale and a case for affect-based exercise prescription. Prev Med. 2004 Feb;38(2):149-59. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2003.09.038.

  PMID: 14715206 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD

  University of Wisconsin, River Falls

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD

CONTACT

715-425-4945; gregory.ruegsegger@uwrf.edu

Ricky Lopez, MS

CONTACT

715-425-4138; ricky.lopez@uwrf.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 16, 2026
• First Posted: July 27, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2027
• Last Updated: July 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: De-identified individual participant data and supporting information will be available beginning six months after publication of the primary study results and will remain available for five years thereafter.
• Access Criteria: Qualified researchers may request access to de-identified individual participant data, the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and analytic code by contacting the Principal Investigator. Requests must include a brief research proposal and analysis plan and will be evaluated based on scientific merit, investigator qualifications, and consistency with participant consent and institutional policies. Approved researchers will receive access to the requested materials after execution of a data use agreement, when applicable.

Locations

US (1)