Isolating & Exploiting the Mechanisms That Link Breakfast to Human Health - Acute
Condition: Postprandial Metabolism; Appetite
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Following the establishment of causal links between breakfast consumption, the individual
      components of energy balance, and health it is now important to examine and target the
      underlying biological mechanisms involved to maximise potential health benefits.

      To begin investigating the outlined mechanisms healthy, non-obese participants will be
      recruited to take part in phase I (acute crossover design) of a wider project.
    

Detailed description: 
      Causal links between breakfast consumption, the individual components of energy balance, and
      health have recently been established and it is now important to examine and target the
      underlying biological mechanisms involved to maximised potential health benefits.

      Specifically, the substitution of a portion of carbohydrate for protein at breakfast may
      enhance the potential health benefits of breakfast through targeting distinct mechanistic
      pathways. Broadly, introducing a greater protein load at breakfast increases insulin
      secretion and delays gastric emptying, thereby eliciting a potentiated insulin response. In
      turn this may therefore improve glucose tolerance during a subsequent meal. Additionally,
      maintenance of euglycaemia following breakfast consumption, coupled with the thermic effect
      of feeding protein may accentuate the elevated energy expenditure following breakfast
      observed in previous studies. Finally, both the physical and chemical properties of protein
      exert a marked satiating effect. Collectively, these mechanisms could interact to maximise
      the net impact of breakfast on energy balance and associated health outcomes. However, whilst
      the evidence indicates obvious benefits of feeding a higher protein dose at breakfast,
      relatively little research has focused on the response to protein over multiple meals/days.
      Furthermore, and importantly, the mechanisms involved in the second-meal phenomenon and the
      potential for initial meals of varied composition to target these mechanisms have never been
      systematically investigated.

      To begin investigating the outlined mechanisms healthy, non-obese participants will be
      recruited to take part a randomised crossover trial that will contrast the acute metabolic
      responses to a protein-enriched breakfast, with a carbohydrate rich breakfast, and the total
      omission of breakfast.
    

Intervention name(s): Carbohydrate rich breakfast; Whey protein enriched breakfast
Intervention type(s): Other; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): A porridge breakfast meal fed at a carbohydrate delivery rate of 7.3 mg/kJ of each participants resting metabolic rate.; A porridge breakfast meal in which 15 grams of whey protein is substituted in place of carbohydrate and a small portion of fat.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants will complete 3 breakfast feeding trials in a randomised order:
Typical high carbohydrate breakfast followed by an ad libitum lunch. Whey protein enriched carbohydrate followed by an ad libitum lunch. Extended morning fast followed by an ad libitum lunch.
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Basic Science