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Session: Amino Acid and Protein Metabolism (Oral 6)

(OR06-02-24) Effect of Protein Intake at Breakfast on Energy Expenditure, Net Protein Balance, and Cardiometabolic Health in Children Who Are Normal Weight or Have Overweight/Obesity

Saturday, June 29, 2024
5:24 PM – 5:36 PM CT
Location:  W183

    Presenting Author(s)

  • JB

    Jamie I. Baum, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Associate Professor
    University of Arkansas
    Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AT

    Angela M. Tacinelli, MS

    University of Arkansas, Arkansas, United States

  • Elisabet Borsheim, Ph.D

    Professor
    Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center; University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

  • MC

    Matthew Cotter, MSc

    Arkansas Children's Hospital
    Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

  • AH

    Aubree L. Hawley, BS

    University of Arkansas
    Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if a higher protein breakfast compared to a normal protein breakfast improves energy expenditure (EE), whole body protein turnover (WBPT), and markers of cardiometabolic health after a 6-week dietary adaptation in school-aged children who are normal weight or have overweight/obesity.

Methods: This was a 6-week, double-blind, randomized controlled design dietary intervention in 7-17 year-old children. Participants (n=71; male and female) were classified as either normal weight (NW) or overweight/obese (OW) and were assigned to one of two isocaloric (360 kcal, 12 g fat, 2 g fiber) breakfasts: 1) protein-based (PRO; 30 g protein; NW PRO, n=19; OW PRO, n=18) or 2) carbohydrate-based (CHO; 13 g protein; NW CHO, n=16; OW CHO, n=18). EE (kcal/d; using doubly labeled water (DLW) and indirect calorimetry), WBPT (g protein/kg body weight/d; using [15N] alanine), substrate oxidation, body composition (via DEXA), energy intake, and markers of cardiometabolic health were collected Pre (day 1)- and Post (day 42)-dietary intervention.

Results: There were no differences within or between NW or OW groups or with PRO or CHO intervention for fasting cardiometabolic biomarkers (e.g., glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and creatinine). There was no effect of diet on resting EE or substrate oxidation, however OW had higher REE, but when controlled for body weight, REE for NW (37.0 ± 7.0 kcal/kg body weight/day) was significantly higher than OW (25.4 ± 5.4 kcal/kg body weight/day) (p < 0.05). OW had higher fat oxidation compared to NW after 6 weeks (p < 0.05). There were no changes in body composition in response to diet. NW had higher net protein balance compared to OW.  There was no effect of diet on net protein balance. There was no difference in energy intake between groups, however OW had an increase in fat intake compared to NW after 6 weeks (p < 0.05) and NW (48.8 ± 16.2 g/kg body weight) had higher protein intake per kg body weight than OW (35.4 ± 10.4 g/kg body weight).

Conclusions: Increasing protein intake at breakfast for 6-weeks does not have an overall effect on energy expenditure, WBPT, body composition, or markers of cardiometabolic health in children with NW versus OW. BMI percentile (OW) had a greater impact on all outcomes than dietary intervention. Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03602144).

Funding Sources: NIH-COBRE