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NCT06627569NARecruitingAccepts Healthy Volunteers

Exercise Effects on the Neurobiology Underlying Stress-related Eating Behaviors in Veterans

VA Office of Research and Development

Start Date

9/15/2026

Completion Date

8/30/2030

Summary

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how common lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, affect how our brains respond to performing thinking tasks and to viewing pictures of foods and various other objects. The investigators are also interested in how changes in hormones that might be different in men and women could affect how lifestyle interventions change these brain responses.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to learn more about how common lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, affect how our brains respond to performing thinking tasks and to viewing pictures of foods and various other objects. The investigators are also interested in how changes in hormones that might be different in men and women could affect how lifestyle interventions change these brain responses. This will help us to better understand how different lifestyle interventions affect the brain and how this might relate to various behaviors. Eligible participants will be asked to complete 2 study days before and again after a 12-week intervention period, during which they will either continue with usual activities or be asked to complete exercise sessions four times per week. They will be randomly assigned to one of these conditions (exercise or not) and will not be able to choose their group assignment.

Eligibility Criteria

Age Range: 18 years to 75 years

Inclusion Criteria: * Veteran * Body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater * Physically inactive * Able to attend study visits in person in Aurora, CO Exclusion Criteria: * Currently pregnant * History of bariatric surgery * Current eating disorder * Current treatment with appetite-altering medications (e.g., glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists) * Contraindication to MRI (weight \> 500 pounds (lbs); claustrophobia; metal or electronic devices in the body) * Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary disease, or diabetes * Unable to exercise due to cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic, or orthopedic reasons

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise

Interested in This Trial?

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Conditions

Overweight/ObesityStress

Locations

Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO

Aurora, Colorado 80045-7211

United States