Abstract
Pre-exercise nutritional practices for active females exercising for mood, cognitive and appetite benefits are not well established. Results from an initial field pilot study showed that higher energy intake at breakfast was associated with lower fatigue and higher overall mood and alertness post-exercise (all p < 0.05). In a follow-up, randomised, controlled trial, 24 active women completed three trials in a balanced, cross-over design. At 0815 h participants completed baseline cognitive tasks, mood and appetite visual analogue scales (VAS) and were administered a cereal breakfast (providing 118 or 236 kcal) or no breakfast. After 45 min, they completed a 30 min run at 65% heart rate reserve (HRR). Parameters were re-assessed immediately after exercise, then hourly until lunch (~1240 h), immediately post-lunch and at 1500 and 1900 h via a mobile phone. Breakfast enhanced feelings of relaxation before lunch (p < 0.05, d > 0.40), though breakfast was detrimental for working memory mid-afternoon (p = 0.019, d = 0.37) and mental fatigue and tension later in the day (all p < 0.05, d > 0.038). Breakfast was also beneficial for appetite control before lunch irrespective of size (all p < 0.05, d > 0.43). These data provide information on pre-exercise nutritional practices for active females and suggest that a small breakfast eaten prior to exercise can benefit post-exercise mood and subjective appetite ratings.
Highlights
Many people exercise regularly for physical and psychological benefits, which are well documented in the literature (e.g., [1,2])
No studies have assessed the effect of consuming a typical breakfast prior to exercise on post-exercise cognitive performance, mood, appetite and energy intake (EI) in recreationally active females; the current paper describes two studies which aimed to explore this paradigm
In addition to the general inclusion criteria listed for the pilot study, participants confirmed they were habitually active, regularly exercised in the morning, were able to run for 30 min continuously at a moderate speed, habitually consumed breakfast prior to a morning exercise session and had a liking for all of the food items provided in the study
Summary
Many people exercise regularly for physical and psychological benefits, which are well documented in the literature (e.g., [1,2]). Exercise can improve cognitive function [3], psychological state and mood [4,5] and support weight regulation [1]. These variables can be positively influenced by following healthy dietary practices and it is widely believed that one such practice is the regular consumption of breakfast [6,7,8]. Pilot survey data in an active female population revealed that the main reasons for skipping breakfast before morning exercise were lack of time and avoiding discomfort during exercise (unpublished data), which mirrors findings of a previous study in swimmers [11]. A common reason for females to exercise is for weight management [9,12], and as exercise in a fasted state can increase fat oxidation [13,14], they may follow this practice to maximize their weight loss potential
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