Is chronotype associated with dietary intake and weight gain during pregnancy? A prospective and longitudinal study

Abstract Background The effects of chronotype on dietary intake and weight gain during pregnancy has not been addressed by the literature. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of chronotype on eating patterns, energy, and macronutrient intake and distribution, as well as weight gain during pregnancy. Methods Prospective cohort study carried out with 100 pregnant women in the first, second, and third gestational trimester. The dietary intake was assessed by three 24-hour dietary recalls in each trimester, totaling 9 recalls. Energy and macronutrient intake and distribution were evaluated at meals throughout the day. Chronotype was derived from mid-sleep time on free days and the obtained scores were categorized into tertiles. Recommendations from the Institute of Medicine were used to assess the adequacy of weight gain. Generalized Estimating Equation models were used to determine the effects of chronotype and gestational trimesters on eating patterns, daily energy, macronutrient distribution, and weight gain. Results Pregnant women with MSF values indicative of eveningness have breakfast later and also have a higher energy and carbohydrate intake at dinner when compared to those ‘morning’ women. Pregnant ‘morning’ women showed a better diet quality in terms of milk and dairy and saturated fat. Also, despite the tendency for all tertiles to gain excess weight during pregnancy, we found that pregnant women with a tendency to eveningness had worse adequacy of gestational weight gain in the third trimester when compared to those pregnant women with a tendency to ‘morning' (2,24 ± 0,25 versus 1,22 ± 0,14, p Conclusions Pregnant women with a tendency to evening consume breakfast later in the day and present a greater consumption of energy and carbohydrates in the evening, as well as a worse standard of gestational weight gain in the third trimester. Our results emphasize the importance of considering chrononutrition variables in the nutritional antenatal guidelines to promote maternal-fetal health.