Exercise after pregnancy to activate infant brown fat
Official title: Impact of Acute Exercise and Habitual Physical Activity on Human Milk Composition and Childhood Obesity Risk
Run by Joslin Diabetes Center · NCT07467694 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will test if a mother's exercise during pregnancy and after birth changes her breast milk so it increases her infant's brown fat activity and energy use.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 45 Years |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Joslin Diabetes Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Boston, Massachusetts and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | July 1, 2030 |
| Study ends | July 1, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | March 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07467694 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are pregnant people aged 18–45 with pre-pregnancy BMI 18.5–40 kg/m2 carrying an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy who plan to exclusively breastfeed for at least three months and deliver a term infant.
✕Probably not a fit
People with uncontrolled diabetes, pregnancy complications, substance use, major fetal anomalies, infants born preterm or small for gestational age, or those unable to exercise are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Investigators will measure habitual maternal activity during pregnancy and postpartum, perform supervised acute moderate exercise bouts, and collect breast milk for metabolite and lipid analysis. They will measure infant growth, body composition, and energy expenditure to see whether exercise-related changes in milk correlate with increased brown fat activity. The central idea is that exercise-induced changes in milk could raise infant energy use and lower later obesity risk. This multi-site study includes in-person testing visits and laboratory analyses of milk and infant metabolic outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could identify exercise recommendations for mothers that change breast milk in ways that help infants burn more energy and reduce obesity risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows maternal factors like BMI and activity affect milk composition and breastfeeding is linked to lower obesity risk, but direct evidence that maternal exercise changes milk to activate infant brown fat is limited and relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 18-45 y of age at the time of enrollment * Pre-gravid or first trimester BMI 18.5 -40 kg/m2 * Uncomplicated singleton pregnancy * Intention to exclusively breastfeed for \>3 months and, if parity \>1, that they successfully breastfed a previous pregnancy * Term pregnancy (gestational age 37 to \<42 weeks) * Infant with birth weight \>10th percentile of weight for gestational age Exclusion Criteria: * Any obstetric contra-indication to exercise at 1 month * Diagnosis of uncontrolled (HbA1c \>7%) type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes managed with insulin * Intrauterine growth restriction * Pre-eclampsia or other pregnancy complications * Alcohol, cannabis or tobacco use * Known congenital metabolic, endocrine disease, or congenital illness affecting infant feeding/growth * Major fetal anomalies * Musculoskeletal issues that would make exercise difficult
Where it's running
-
Joslin Diabetes Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting -
Oklahoma University College of Medicine
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Elvira M Isganaitis, MD, MPH
- Email: elvira.isganaitis@joslin.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-309-4554
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.