Effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on short-term low-carbohydrate/high-fat intake-induced postprandial glucose metabolism during an oral glucose tolerance test

Abstract

Objective: A single bout of exercise can improve acute postprandial glucose metabolism aggravated by short-term low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet (HFD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a single bout of aerobic exercise on short-term HFD-induced postprandial glucose and incretin metabolism during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Materials/methods: Eleven healthy young men (age [mean±SE] 27±1 years; body mass index, 22±1 kg/m(2)) performed three, 3-day interventions in randomized order: (1) a normal diet (ND: ~22% fat), (2) an HFD (~69% fat) and (3) an HFD with a single bout of aerobic exercise (HFDEx). The exercise (50% peak oxygen consumption; ~200 kcal) was performed on the third day in HFDEx. An OGTT was performed after each 3-day dietary intervention.

Results: The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) of plasma glucose levels during the OGTT was significantly higher in the HFD and HFDEx trials than in the ND trial (P=0.001). In addition, the iAUC of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level was significantly higher in the HFD trial than in the ND and HFDEx trials (P=0.04). The first-phase insulin secretion indexes were significantly lower in the HFD (P=0.01 and 0.002) and HFDEx trials (P=0.05 and 0.008) than in the ND trial.

Conclusion: A single bout of aerobic exercise did not improve the short-term HFD-induced aggravation of postprandial glucose and insulin metabolism during the OGTT. However, it did normalize the increased postprandial GLP-1 level induced by HFD.

Keywords: ALT; AST; DPP-4; FFA; GIP; GLP-1; Glucagon like peptide-1; HDLC; HFD; HFDEx; IL-6; Incretin; LDLC; ND; OGTT; Postprandial glucose level; TC; TG; TNFα; VO(2)peak; alanine aminotransferase; aspartate transaminase; dipeptidyl peptidase-4; free fatty acid; glucagon-like peptide 1; glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; iAUC; incremental area under curve; interleukin-6; low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet; low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet with exercise; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; normal diet; oral glucose tolerance test; peak oxygen consumption; total cholesterol; triglycerides; tumor necrosis factor-α; β-HBA; β-hydroxybutyric acid.