Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2025

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
Neural and metabolic factors in carbohydrate reward: Rationale, design, and methods for a flavor-nutrient learning
Amber L Kelly1, Mary Elizabeth Baugh2, Monica L Ahrens3
1Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA; Center for Health Behaviors Research at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA; Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA.
Abstract:
Overconsumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are linked with adverse health outcomes, is a growing public health concern. UPFs deliver highly bioavailable calories rapidly, which may contribute to their reinforcing potential and drive overconsumption. Our primary aim is to test the role of speed of nutrient availability on reward learning. We hypothesize that brain activity in reward related areas and behavioral preferences will be greater to a flavored drink predicting rapidly available calories (CS + Fast) compared with a flavored drink predicting more slowly available (CS + Slow) or no (CS-) calories. Participants (n = 64, aged 18-45 years, will consume 3 novel flavored, isosweet beverages containing 110 kcal of sucrose (CS + Fast), 110 kcal of maltodextrin (CS + Slow), or 0-kcal sucralose (CS-) 6 times in randomized, crossover order. Blood metabolites and indirect calorimetry measures, including metabolic rate and carbohydrate oxidation, will be assessed before and for 1 h after beverage consumption. Behavioral preference for beverages will be assessed in a pre- and post-test. Brain response to each flavor without calories will be assessed via functional magnetic resonance imaging in a post-test. Findings from this study will contribute to the understanding of basic mechanisms that may drive overconsumption of UPFs. Trial registration:clinicaltrials.gov registration #NCT06053294.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of Food Intake
Gustation
The Physiology of Taste
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
Instinctive Drift

