Carbohydrate Intake and Gut Hormone Release During Exercise

It is well known that following a single session of moderate-to-high intensity exercise individuals experience a temporary suppression of hunger and a delay in the commencement of eating. This effect is believed to be due to changes in blood concentrations of specific hormones released from the gut that influence appetite.

Individuals undertaking physical activity often consume foods immediately before exercise in order to improve their performance. However, it is currently unknown whether this eating practice influences the gut hormone response to exercise as well as how hungry an individual feels post-exercise.

Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of consuming a sugary (carbohydrate) drink immediately before starting an exercise session on the concentration of these gut hormones as well as the amount of food eaten in the hours following exercise completion.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Rest; Other: Water; Other: Exercise; Dietary supplement: Maltodextrin (carbohydrate)

Detailed Description

It is well established that following an acute bout of moderate-to-high intensity exercise individuals experience a transient suppression of hunger and a delay in the commencement of eating - a phenomenon referred to as exercise-induced anorexia. Acute exercise modulates the concentrations of gut hormones known to influence satiety, including the anorexigenic hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), as well as the acylated form of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin. These alterations in gut hormone concentrations have consequently been hypothesised to play a key role in exercise-induced anorexia.

Despite suppressing hunger and delaying eating, acute exercise does not appear to alter short-term energy intake in the immediate hours following exercise completion. The absence of a compensatory response therefore creates an energy deficit capable of inducing weight loss. Strategies that augment the gut hormone response to acute exercise may thus increase the potency of exercise as a weight-loss tool.

Research investigating the effect of exercise on appetite has frequently utilised participants in a fasting state. Undertaking exercise in this physiological condition contradicts current practices, as athletes often consume a carbohydrate source immediately prior to exercise in an attempt to maximise performance. It is currently unknown as to whether the consumption of carbohydrate during this period may further enhance the gut hormone response to exercise, and thus research into a potential additive effect is warranted.

High-intensity exercise increases sympathetic nervous system activity and catecholamine release. Catecholamine concentrations are negatively correlated with acylated ghrelin concentrations and may directly stimulate GLP-1 and PYY release via activation of β-receptors located on L-cells. The decrease in gastric emptying rate that is observed during high-intensity exercise is also attributed to this increase in sympathetic activity. Consequently, an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity has been postulated as a key mechanism underlying exercise-induced changes in gut hormone concentrations. However, to our knowledge, no study has directly measured the relationship between sympathetic nervous system activity and anorexigenic gut hormone release during exercise.

Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine any potential additive effects of carbohydrate ingestion immediately prior to exercise on gut hormone release and post-exercise appetite suppression. Furthermore, this study will look to investigate the mechanisms underlying changes in gut hormone concentrations experienced during exercise.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • London, United Kingdom, W12 0HS
    • Imperial Clinical Research Facility

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 40 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male
• Age between 18-40 years (inclusive)
• Body mass index (BMI) of 18-30 kg/m2
• Willingness and ability to give written informed consent and willingness and ability to understand, to participate and to comply with the study requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

• Abnormal ECG
• Screening blood results outside of normal reference values
• Current smokers
• Current or history of substance abuse and/or excess alcohol intake
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer
• Gastrointestinal disease e.g. inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Pancreatitis
• Started new medication within the last 3 months likely to interfere with energy metabolism, appetite regulation and hormonal balance, including: anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids, antibiotics, androgens, phenytoin, erythromycin or thyroid hormones.
• Participation in a research study in the 12 week period prior to entering this study.
• Any blood donation within the 12 week period prior to entering this study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: No Carbohydrate Drink + Rest; Participants will consume the no carbohydrate drink (300ml water) followed by a rest session	Other: Rest; 30 minutes laying on a bed; Other: Water; A drink containing 300ml of water
Active Comparator: No Carbohydrate Drink + Exercise; Participants will consume the no carbohydrate drink (300ml water) followed by an exercise session (75% VO2 max on a cycle ergometer)	Other: Water; A drink containing 300ml of water; Other: Exercise; 30 minutes on a cycle ergometer working at 75% VO2 max
Active Comparator: Carbohydrate Drink + Rest; Participants will consume the carbohydrate drink (300ml water + 75g maltodextrin) followed by a rest session	Other: Rest; 30 minutes laying on a bed; Dietary supplement: Maltodextrin (carbohydrate); A drink containing 300ml of water and 75g of maltodextrin
Experimental: Carbohydrate Drink + Exercise; Participants will consume the carbohydrate drink (300ml water + 75g maltodextrin) followed by an exercise session (75% VO2 max on a cycle ergometer)	Other: Exercise; 30 minutes on a cycle ergometer working at 75% VO2 max; Dietary supplement: Maltodextrin (carbohydrate); A drink containing 300ml of water and 75g of maltodextrin

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in GLP-1 concentration	Changes in GLP-1 concentration between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Changes in PYY concentration	Changes in PYY concentration between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Changes in acylated ghrelin concentration	Changes in acylated ghrelin concentration between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions	During the study visit, 165 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in energy intake	Differences in energy intake at an ad libitum meal between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Changes in Energy expenditure	Differences in energy expenditure between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions.	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Changes in energy balance	Differences in energy balance between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions.	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Glucose homeostasis	Changes in glucose homeostasis between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions.	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Changes in subjective nausea	Changes in subjective feelings of nausea as measured by visual analogue scales between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions. Visual analogue scales will range from 0 mm to 100 mm with a higher score indicating a higher degree of nausea.	During the study visit, 165 minutes
Changes in subjective appetite	Changes in subjective feelings of appetite as measured by visual analogue scales between exercise and resting conditions, and between carbohydrate and control conditions. Visual analogue scales will range from 0 mm to 100 mm with a higher score indicating a higher degree of fullness.	During the study visit, 165 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Imperial College London
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Edward Chambers, PhD, Imperial College London

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Frampton J, Serrano-Contreras JI, Garcia-Perez I, Franco-Becker G, Penhaligan J, Tan ASY, de Oliveira ACC, Milner AJ, Murphy KG, Frost G, Chambers ES. The metabolic interplay between dietary carbohydrate and exercise and its role in acute appetite regulation in males: a randomized controlled study. J Physiol. 2023 Aug;601(16):3461-3480. doi: 10.1113/JP284294. Epub 2023 Jun 15.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 21, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 12, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): February 12, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 9, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): July 15, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 9, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 7, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise; GLP-1; carbohydrate; ghrelin; hormones; PYY
• Other Study ID Numbers: 18HH4889

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: No: There is not a plan to make IPD available

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No