A Protein‐Based Breakfast Increases Postprandial Fat Metabolism in Overweight and Obese Children

Abstract

Breakfast is a key component of a healthy diet and can positively impact children's health. However, there has been a steady decline in breakfast consumption in children over the past 40 years. The objective of this study was to determine if breakfast macronutrient composition (protein (PRO)‐based breakfast [22% protein, 45% carbohydrate, 26% fat] or an isocaloric carbohydrate (CHO)‐based breakfast [4% protein, 67% carbohydrate, 29% fat]) can influence postprandial (pp) substrate utilization in overweight/obese (OW; n=13) versus normal weight (NW; n=16) children ages 8‐11 years old. We found no significant difference in fasting respiratory quotient (RQ) between groups. There was no difference in postprandial RQ area under the curve (AUC) between OW and NW or between PRO and CHO breakfasts. OW had significantly higher fasting VO2 (oxygen consumption) values (P = 0.02) and VCO2 (carbon dioxide production) values (P = 0.01) compared to NW. OW had significantly higher pp AUC VO2 in response to the PRO breakfast compared to NW children (P < 0.05). There was a trend (P = 0.06) for OW to burn more kcal from CHO during fasting and there was no significant pp response between NW and OW or PRO and CHO breakfasts. Finally, there was no significant different in fasting kcal from fat between OW and NW groups, however OW burned significantly higher kcal from fat following the PRO breakfast (31%) compared to the CHO breakfast and NW children consuming PRO and CHO breakfasts (28% and 28%, respectively). These data suggest that consumption of a PRO breakfast has the potential to modulate postprandial substrate utilization by increasing kcal used from fat in OW children. Funded by the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center.