Project EMBRACE: Embracing Morning BReakfast and Activity for Classroom Engagement

Summary

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

Description

Eligibility

Age range

6–11 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Behavioral
  High Protein Breakfast

  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.

• Behavioral
  Morning Exercise

  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.

• Behavioral
  High Carb Breakfast

  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.

Location