Timing of Nutrient Ingestion after Mild to Moderate Cycling Exercise Does Not Affect Gastric Emptying Rate in Humans

Effects of different temperatures of carbohydrate-protein-containing drinks on gastric emptying rate after exercise in healthy young men: randomized crossover trial

Background

The present study examined the effects of different temperatures of carbohydrate-protein-containing drinks after exercise on the subsequent gastric emptying rate in healthy young men.

Methods

Twelve healthy young men completed two, 1-day trials in random order. In both trials, the participants completed intermittent cycling exercise for 20 min, consisting of a 120% heart rate peak for 20 s, followed by 25 W for 40 s. Participants consumed 400 mL of carbohydrate-protein-containing drink (0.85 MJ) at 4 °C (EX + 4 °C) or 60 °C (EX + 60 °C) over a 5-min period after exercise. The participants sat on a chair for 2.5 h to measure their gastric emptying rate using the ¹³C-sodium acetate breath test. Subjective feelings of gastrointestinal discomfort and appetite were measured using a visual analog scale. Interstitial fluid glucose levels after drinking were measured using a continuous glucose-monitoring device.

Results

The percentage excretion of ¹³CO₂ tended to be higher at EX + 60 °C than at EX + 4 °C from the start of the test until 30 min after drink ingestion (5.7 ± 0.5 vs. 6.5 ± 0.4%dose/h for the EX + 4 °C and EX + 60 °C trials, respectively; effect sizes [ES] = 0.277, p = 0.065). The time of maximum ¹³CO₂ emissions per hour (Tmax-calc) and the time of half ¹³CO₂ emissions per hour (T_1/2) did not differ between trials. Subjective gastrointestinal discomfort was lower at EX + 60 °C compared to EX + 4 °C (ES = 0.328, p = 0.041). There were no significant differences in interstitial fluid glucose levels between the different temperatures of carbohydrate-protein-containing drinks after exercise (p = 0.698).

Conclusions

Consumption of warm carbohydrate-protein-containing drinks after exercise may accelerate gastric emptying in the very early phase and may reduce gastric discomfort.

Trial registration

University Hospital Medical Information Network, UMIN000045626. Registered on June 10, 2021.

Blood pressure and celiac artery blood flow responses during increased inspiratory muscle work in healthy males

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of this study? Increased work of breathing and the accumulation of metabolites have neural and cardiovascular consequences through a respiratory muscle-induced metaboreflex. The influence of respiratory muscle-induced metaboreflex on splanchnic blood flow in humans remains unknown. What is the main finding and its importance? Celiac artery blood flow decreased gradually during inspiratory resistive breathing, accompanied by a progressive increase in arterial blood pressure. It is possible that respiratory muscle-induced metaboreflex contributes to splanchnic blood flow regulation.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of increasing inspiratory muscle work on celiac artery blood flow. Eleven healthy young males completed the study. The subjects performed voluntary hyperventilation with or without inspiratory resistance (loading or non-loading trial) (tidal volume of 40% of vital capacity and breathing frequency of 20 breaths/min). The loading trial was conducted with inspiratory resistance (40% of maximal inspiratory pressure) and was terminated when the subjects could no longer maintain the target tidal volume or breathing frequency. The non-loading trial was conducted without inspiratory resistance and was the same length as the loading trial. Arterial blood pressure was recorded using finger photoplethysmography, and celiac artery blood flow was measured using Doppler ultrasound. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) increased gradually during the loading trial (89.0±10.8 to 103.9±17.3 mmHg, mean ± SD) but not in the non-loading trial (88.7±5.9 to 90.4±9.9 mmHg). Celiac artery blood flow and celiac vascular conductance decreased gradually during the loading trial (601.2±155.7 to 482.6±149.5 mL/min and 6.9±2.2 to 4.8±1.7 mL/min/mmHg, respectively), but were unchanged in the non-loading trial (630.7±157.1 to 635.6±195.7 mL/min and 7.1±1.8 to 7.2±2.9 mL/min/mmHg, respectively). These results show that increasing inspiratory muscle work affects splanchnic blood flow regulation, and we suggest that it is possibly mediated by the inspiratory muscle-induced metaboreflex. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Postprandial superior mesenteric artery blood flow is related to changes in peripheral pulse wave harmonics and heart rate: implications for wearable technology?

Postprandial superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow is associated with the caloric content of a meal. Whether spectral analysis of a peripheral pulse wave or heart rate can model postprandial SMA blood flow is unclear. We hypothesized that altering the caloric content of a meal would evoke dose-response increases in postprandial SMA hyperemia and distinct changes in the pulse wave harmonic spectrum and heart rate. Twenty healthy subjects (10 male, 26 ± 10 yr) completed a randomized cross-over trial, comparing three meals (280, 560, or 840 kcal) on SMA blood flow (Doppler ultrasound), heart rate, and the first to seventh harmonic amplitudes (derived from a finger pulse wave). Supine SMA diameter and blood velocity were collected at baseline and every 15 min throughout 2 h of postprandial recovery. SMA blood flow was smaller across all time points following meal 1 (280 kcal) compared with both meal 2 (560 kcal) and meal 3 (840 kcal) (all P < 0.001), while meal 2 had attenuated responses compared with meal 3 at 60, 90, 105, and 120 min postprandial (all P < 0.01). Distinct changes in heart rate and the amplitude of second to fifth harmonics were observed between meals (all P < 0.05). The changes in harmonic spectrum or heart rate explained 66-69% (adjusted r²) of the variance in postprandial SMA blood flow. These results provide proof-of-concept that easily obtained and noninvasive postprandial harmonic profiles or heart rate may be used to explain changes in SMA blood flow and exploited for the development of wearable technology to noninvasively track caloric intake.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow responses to three meals of varying caloric value and examined whether these responses could be modeled using changes in heart rate or the peripheral pulse wave harmonic spectrum. We found that both inputs could explain 66-69% of the SMA blood flow variance over 2 h of postprandial recovery. Noninvasive methods may be able to predict SMA blood flow and thus used to measure caloric intake.