Effect of repeated oral administration of glucose and leucine immediately after exercise on plasma insulin concentration and glycogen synthesis in horses.
Abstract: To determine whether repeated oral administration of glucose and leucine during the period immediately after intense exercise would increase the release of insulin and thereby enhance glycogen synthesis in horses. Methods: 12 Standardbred horses. Methods: In a crossover study design, after glycogen-depleting exercise, horses received oral boluses of glucose (1 g/kg at 0, 2, and 4 hours) and leucine (0.1 g/kg at 0 and 4 hours) or boluses of water (10 mL/kg at 0, 2, and 4 hours; control treatment). Blood samples for determination of glucose, insulin, and leucine concentrations were collected prior to and during a 6-hour period immediately after exercise. Biopsy specimens of a gluteus muscle were obtained before and immediately after exercise and at 3, 6, and 24 hours after exercise for measurement of glycogen concentration. Results: When glucose and leucine were administered to the horses, plasma insulin concentration was significantly higher during the 6 hours immediately after exercise than it was when water was administered to the horses. Serum glucose concentration during the 4 hours immediately after exercise was significantly higher when glucose and leucine were administered than the serum glucose concentration when water was administered. Muscle glycogen concentrations did not differ between the 2 treatments during the 24 hours after exercise. Conclusions: Synthesis of muscle glycogen after intense intermittent exercise was not enhanced by oral boluses of glucose and leucine after exercise despite pronounced increases in plasma insulin and serum glucose concentrations.
Publication Date: 2012-05-25 PubMed ID: 22620702DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.73.6.867Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study investigates the effects of giving repeated doses of glucose and leucine to horses immediately after intense exercise, with the aim of understanding if this increases insulin release and enhances glycogen synthesis.
Study Design and Methodology
- The researchers used a total of 12 Standardbred horses for their study and employed a crossover design.
- The horses underwent a glycogen-depleting exercise following which they were administrated with doses of glucose and leucine or water as a control.
- The oral boluses of glucose were given at a concentration of 1 g/kg at 0, 2, and 4 hours. Similarly, leucine was administrated at a concentration of 0.1 g/kg and 4 hours post-exercise. As the control, horses were given water boluses at 10 mL/kg at 0, 2, and 4 hours.
- Before and after the exercise and during the six-hour period immediately following the exercise, blood samples were taken from the horses to measure their glucose, insulin, and leucine concentrations.
- In addition, biopsy specimens were extracted from the horses’ gluteus muscle before and after the exercise and at 3, 6, and 24 hours following the exercise. These samples were used to measure the glycogen concentration in the muscles.
Key Findings
- When glucose and leucine were administrated, there was a significant increase in plasma insulin concentration in the six hours immediately following exercise, compared to when only water was given.
- Furthermore, the serum glucose concentration was significantly higher during the four hours immediately after exercise when glucose and leucine were given, compared to when only water was administered.
- However, there was no difference in muscle glycogen concentrations between the two treatments during the 24 hours after exercise.
Conclusions
- Despite the marked increase in plasma insulin and serum glucose concentrations when glucose and leucine were administered after intense exercise, the synthesis of muscle glycogen was not enhanced.
- This implies that oral boluses of glucose and leucine after exercise may not enhance muscle glycogen synthesis despite increasing insulin and blood glucose levels.
Cite This Article
APA
Bröjer JT, Nostell KE, Essén-Gustavsson B, Hedenström UO.
(2012).
Effect of repeated oral administration of glucose and leucine immediately after exercise on plasma insulin concentration and glycogen synthesis in horses.
Am J Vet Res, 73(6), 867-874.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.73.6.867 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. johan.brojer@slu.se
MeSH Terms
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Cross-Over Studies
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Glucose / administration & dosage
- Glucose / pharmacology
- Glycogen / biosynthesis
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Insulin / blood
- Leucine / administration & dosage
- Leucine / pharmacology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Warnken T, Huber K, Feige K. Comparison of three different methods for the quantification of equine insulin. BMC Vet Res 2016 Sep 9;12(1):196.
- Nostell KE, Essén-Gustavsson B, Bröjer JT. Repeated post-exercise administration with a mixture of leucine and glucose alters the plasma amino acid profile in Standardbred trotters. Acta Vet Scand 2012 Feb 1;54(1):7.
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