Frequency of Breakfast and Physical Fitness among Chinese College Students.

OBJECTIVE: Although several studies report a relationship between breakfast consumption and physical fitness, results are inconsistent and lack evidence in young adults. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between frequency of breakfast consumption and physical fitness among college students.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigated 10,125 Chinese college students (6251 male, 3874 female participants) who underwent physical examinations in 2015. Breakfast consumption was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Physical fitness was evaluated by grip strength and 50-meter sprint.

RESULTS: After adjusting for confounding factors, a significantly positive association was observed between frequency of breakfast consumption and grip strength (p < .001 for both sexes). Frequent breakfast consumption also was associated with faster sprint times in male and female participants (p < .001, and .002 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: We found that frequent breakfast consumption is significantly associated with higher grip strength and faster sprint times in Chinese college students.