Diet, Fat Quality, and How Your Body Responds to Exercise

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This prospective observational study will look at how habitual dietary fat quality and metabolic health relate to responses to a standardized moderate-intensity cycling session, cognitive performance, and academic engagement in healthy young adults. Participants will track dietary intake, body composition, and metabolic health, undergo aerobic fitness and cognitive testing, and complete a cycling bout with measurements of affect, enjoyment, energy, and motivation for future activity. The study aims to clarify why individuals show different affective, motivational, and cognitive responses to exercise beyond standard fitness factors. Findings could help tailor lifestyle recommendations to improve adherence to physical activity and cognitive well-being. The study does not involve an intervention to alter diet or exercise but observes natural variations in lifestyle factors and responses.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

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.

Where it's running

• University of Wisconsin-River Falls
  River Falls, Wisconsin, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD — University of Wisconsin, River Falls
• Study coordinator: Gregory Ruegsegger, PhD
• Email: gregory.ruegsegger@uwrf.edu
• Phone: 715-425-4945

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.