Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

University of Wisconsin, River Falls

Code:

NCT07728240

Conditions

Diet Quality

Metabolic Health

Cognitive Function

Exercise Response

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Standardized Moderate-Intensity Cycling Session

Study Details

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

Study ID

NCT07728240

Start date

Aug 1, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Jul 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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.

Study Design

Enrollment

100 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

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.

Interventions

Standardized Moderate-Intensity Cycling Session

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.

Primary outcome measure

  • Affective Valence During and After Exercise [ Time Frame: 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 [ Time Frame: 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 [ Time Frame: Immediately before exercise, immediately after the 30-minute cycling session, and 30 minutes after exercise ]
  • Negative Affect Before and After Exercise [ Time Frame: Immediately before exercise, immediately after the 30-minute cycling session, and 30 minutes after exercise ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD

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

Ricky Lopez, MS

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

Locations

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Recruiting

River Falls, Wisconsin, United States, 54022

Contacts

Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD

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

Ricky Lopez, MS

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

Principal Investigator:

Gregory N Ruegsegger, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Wisconsin, River Falls

Last update posted

Jul 27, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

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

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Wisconsin, River Falls on 2026-07-27.