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Substrate utilization during prolonged exercise preceded by ingestion of13C-glucose in glycogen depleted and control subjects

  • Heart, Circulation, Respiration and Blood; Environmental and Exercise Physiology
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Abstract

The utilization of 100 g glucose by 5 control and 5 glycogen depleted subjects was investigated during a prolonged exercise, using naturally labelled13C-glucose as a metabolic tracer in conjunction with continuous respiratory exchange measurements. 1 h after glucose ingestion, the subjects pedaled for 2 h at 40% of theirVO2 max.

In both groups, expired CO2 reached similar peaks of enrichment with13C after 75 min of exercise. At this time, control subjects used principally carbohydrate (65%), exogenous glucose representing 24% of the total energy expenditure. In contrast the glycogen depleted subjects used mainly lipid (70%), exogenous glucose representing 20% of the energy expenditure. In the latter subjects, FFA plasma levels remained 2 to 3 times higher than those of non-depleted subjects throughout the whole exercise period. Control subjects oxidized an average of 41±1 g and glycogen depleted subjects 38±2 g of exogenous glucose during the 2 h exercise period.

It is concluded that during an exercise which is preceded by the ingestion of glucose:

  1. a)

    The principal energetic substrate is carbohydrate for control and lipid for glycogen depleted subjects.

  2. b)

    Inspite of their glycogen depletion, these subjects do not utilize ingested glucose to a greater extent than the control subjects, which is probably due to their higher FFA plasma levels.

  3. c)

    The trend to store carbohydrate energy remains important during muscular exercise.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physiologie, Université de Lausanne, 7, Rue du Bugnon, CH-1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    E. Ravussin, P. Pahud & E. Jéquier

  2. Laboratoires Nestlé, CH-1814, La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland

    A. Dörner & M. J. Arnaud

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  1. E. Ravussin
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  2. P. Pahud
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  3. A. Dörner
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  4. M. J. Arnaud
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Ravussin, E., Pahud, P., Dörner, A. et al. Substrate utilization during prolonged exercise preceded by ingestion of13C-glucose in glycogen depleted and control subjects. Pflugers Arch. 382, 197–202 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583702

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583702

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