Beneficial effects of a high protein breakfast on fullness disappear after a night of short sleep in nonobese, premenopausal women

Abstract

As insufficient sleep and obesity become more widespread, finding strategies to overcome changes in appetite and food cravings after sleep reduction is imperative. This study examined the effects of a high-protein (HP) and high-carbohydrate (HC) breakfast on appetitive sensations, food cravings, and dietary intake after nights of habitual (HS) and curtailed sleep (CS). Twenty-seven non-obese, premenopausal women who reported routinely eating breakfast participated in this randomized crossover study. Participants completed 4 laboratory visits with different combinations of sleep and breakfast conditions. Sleep was reduced by 33% on curtailed nights. At each visit, appetitive sensations were measured before breakfast and every 30 minutes thereafter throughout the 4-hour visit; area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Food cravings were assessed before and 3.5 h after breakfast. Intake of ad libitum lunch and daily dietary intake were measured. Regardless of the breakfast condition, CS increased hunger (p=0.043) and desire to eat (p=0.044) and decreased fullness (p=0.035). The HP breakfast increased fullness AUC after HS (p=0.022) but not CS. Regardless of the sleep condition, the changes in food cravings scores were significantly different based on breakfast condition (p=0.009), with food cravings increased after the HC breakfast and decreased after the HP breakfast. However, breakfast condition did not influence hunger or desire to eat AUC after either sleep condition. Neither the breakfast condition nor the sleep condition influenced lunch and daily energy intake. In conclusion, it appears protein reduces food cravings regardless of sleep condition in this population but obtaining sufficient sleep is necessary to benefit from the effects of high protein intake on fullness.