Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Effect of glycemic index on whole-body substrate oxidation in obese women

International Journal of Obesity volume 29, pages 108–114 (2005)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 09 June 2005

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Glycemic index is hypothesized to determine fuel partitioning through serum plasma insulin modifications induced by dietary carbohydrates, thereby modulating fat accretion or oxidation.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the glycemic effects on postprandial fuel oxidation and blood response.

DESIGN:

In all, 12 obese women were fed on a randomized crossover design with two test meals (breakfast+lunch). High- or low-glycemic meals were provided on separate days. Energy intake on high-glycemic meal was 7758±148 kJ and for low-glycemic meal was 7806±179 kJ. Carbohydrates supplied were 273±5 and 275±6 g, respectively. Macronutrient distribution was 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 15% protein. Fuel oxidation was measured continuously in a respiratory chamber for 10 h. Serum glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), insulin and glucagon samples were taken for 5 h after breakfast.

RESULTS:

Glucose AUC changed significantly in response to different glycemic breakfast. Low- vs high-glycemic breakfast was 211±84 and 379±164 mmol/l (P<0.05). Similarly, insulin changed from 94±37 and 170±87 nmol/l (P<0.05), respectively. The rate of increment for serum glucose and insulin reached by the high- vs low-glycemic meal was 1.8 times more with the high-glycemic breakfast. Serum FFA were similarly suppressed by both meal types by 3 h after meal intake, but then raised significantly more with the low-glycemic meal by the fourth and fifth hour (P<0.05). Plasma glucagon did not show a significant variation with glycemic index. Carbohydrate and fat oxidation was not modified by glycemic meal characteristics, being virtually the same for low- vs high-glycemic comparisons in the 5 h following breakfast and lunch (P=NS).

CONCLUSION:

This study demonstrates that dietary glycemic characteristics were unable to modify fuel partitioning in sedentary obese women.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. World Health Organization. Report of a WHO consultation on obesity. Geneva, Italy, WHO/NUT/NCD/98.1. 1998.

  2. Jenkins D, Wolever T, Taylor R, Barker H, Fielden H, Baldwin J, Bowling A, Newman H, Jenkins A, Goff D . Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. Am J Clin Nutr 1981; 34: 362–366.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Food and Agriculture Organization. Carbohydrates in human nutrition: a summary of the joint FAO/WHO expert consultation. Rome, Italy; 1997.

  4. Brand-Miller J, Holt S, Pawlak D, McMillan J . Glycemic index and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76 (suppl): 281S–285S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ludwig D . The glycemic index: physiological mechanisms relating to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. JAMA 2002; 287 (18): 2414–2423.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Willet W, Manson J, Liu S . Glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76 (suppl): 274S–280S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jenkins D, Kendall C, Augustin L, Franceschi S, Hamidi M, Marchie A, Jenkins A, Axelsen M . Glycemic index: overview of implications in health and disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76 (suppl): 266S–273S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sparti A, Milon H, Di Vetta V, Schnetter P, Tappy L, Jéquier E, Schutz Y . Effect of diets high or low in unavailable and slowly digestible carbohydrates on the pattern of 24-h substrate oxidation and feelings of hunger in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72: 1461–1468.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Howe J, Rumpler W, Behall K . Dietary starch composition and level of energy intake alter nutrient oxidation in ‘carbohydrate sensitive’ men. J Nutr 1996; 126: 2120–2129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. McDevitt R, Poppitt S, Murgatroyd P, Prentice A . Macronutrient disposal during controlled overfeeding with glucose, fructose, sucrose, or fat in lean and obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72: 369–377.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Report of the expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 2003; 26 (suppl 1): S5–S20.

  12. Summary of the second report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel II). JAMA 1993; 269: 3015–3028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Schmidt-Hebbel H, Pennacchiotti I, Masson L, Mella MA . Tabla de composición de los alimentos Chilenos, 8th ed. Facultad de Química y Farmacia. Universidad de Chile 1992.

  14. Schofield W . Predicting basal metabolic rate, new standards and review of previous work. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr 1985; 39C (suppl 1): 5–41.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Siri WE . The gross composition of the body. Adv Biol Med Physiol 1956; 4: 239–280.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Livesey G, Elia M . Estimation of energy expenditure, net carbohydrate utilization, and net fat oxidation and synthesis by indirect calorimetry: evaluation of errors with special reference to the detailed composition of fuels. Am J Clin Nutr 1988; 47: 608–628.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Murgatroyd P, Sonko B, Wittekind A, Goldberg G, Ceesay S, Prentice A . Non-invasive techniques for assessing carbohydrate flux: I. Measurement of depletion by indirect calorimetry. Acta Physiol Scand 1993; 147: 91–98.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wolever T, Jenkins D . The use of the glycemic index in predicting the blood glucose response to mixed meals. Am J Clin Nutr 1986; 43: 167–172.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Waterhouse C, Baker N, Rostami H . Effect of glucose ingestion on the metabolism of free fatty acids in human subjects. J Lipid Res 1969; 10: 487–494.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bonadonna R, Groop L, Zych K, Shank M, DeFronzo R . Dose-dependent effect of insulin on plasma FFA turnover and oxidation in humans. Am J Physiol (Endocrinol Metab) 1990; 259: E736–E750.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Campbell P, Carlson M, Nurjhan N . Fat metabolism in human obesity. Am J Physiol (Endocrinol Metab) 1994; 266: E600–E605.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Thiebaud D, Jacot E, DeFronzo R, Maeder E, Jequier E, Felber JP . The effect of graded doses of insulin on total glucose uptake, glucose oxidation, and glucose storage in man. Diabetes 1982; 31: 957–963.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Blaak E, Saris W . Postprandial thermogenesis and substrate utilization after ingestion of different dietary carbohydrates. Metabolism 1996; 45: 1235–1242.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ritz P, Krempf M, Cloarec D, Champ M, Charbonnel B . Comparative continuous-indirect-calorimetry study of two carbohydrates with different glycemic indices. Am J Clin Nutr 1991; 54: 855–859.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Delarue J, Couet C, Cohen R, Brechot JF, Antoine JM, Lamisse F . Effects of fish oil on metabolic responses to oral fructose and glucose loads in healthy humans. Am J Physiol 1996; 270 (Endocrinol Metab 33): E353–E362.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Wolever T, Bentum-Williams A, Jenkins D . Physiological modulation of plasma free fatty acid concentration by diet. Diabetes Care 1995; 18 (7): 962–970.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Bouche C, Rizkalla S, Luo J, Vidal H, Veronese A, Patcher N, Fouqett C, Lang V, Slama G . Five week, low-glycemic index diet decreases total fat mass and improves plasma lipid profile in moderately overweight nondiabetic men. Diabetes Care 2002; 25: 822–828.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ludwig D, Majzoub J, Al-Zahrani A, Dallal G, Blanco I, Roberts S . High glycemic index foods, overeating and obesity. Pediatrics 1999; 103: 26–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Jarvi A, Karlström B, Granfeldt Y, Björck I, Asp NG, Vessby B . Improved glycemic control and lipid profile and normalized fibrinolytic activity on a low-glycemic index diet in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care 1999; 22: 10–18.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Ball S, Keller K, Moyer-Mileur L, Ding YW, Donaldson D, Jackson D . Prolongation of satiety after load versus moderately high glycemic index meals in obese adolescents. Pediatrics 2003; 111 (3): 488–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Elliot S, Keim N, Stern J, Teff K, Havel P . Fructose, weight gain, and the insulin resistance syndrome. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 76: 911–922.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Karpe F, Olivecrona T, Olivecrona G, Samra J, Summers L, Humphreys S, Frayn K . Lipoprotein lipase transport in plasma: role of muscle and adipose tissues in regulation of plasma lipoprotein lipase concentration. J Lipid Res 1998; 39: 2387–2393.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Fielding B, Frayn K . Lipoprotein lipase and the disposition of dietary fatty acids. Br J Nutr 1998; 80: 495–502.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We want to thank Dr Carmen Romero, Mr Manuel Maliqueo and Mr Claudio Lartiga for their technical assistance in performing laboratory analyses. We wish to thank Ingrid Rodríguez, Angélica Letelier and Jorge Inostroza for their collaboration in this study. Dr Peter Murgatroyd is particularly acknowledged for his support in setting-up the respiratory chamber and his valuable scientific advice. Finally, our volunteers are specially acknowledged for their interest, time and cooperation. Supported by Fondecyt-Conicyt project N° 1010559.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Metabolismo Energético e Isótopos Estables, Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos (INTA), Universidad de Chile, AV JP Alessandri 5540, Santiago, Chile

    E O Díaz, J E Galgani, C A Aguirre, I J Atwater & R Burrows

Authors
  1. E O Díaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J E Galgani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C A Aguirre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I J Atwater
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R Burrows
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E O Díaz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Díaz, E., Galgani, J., Aguirre, C. et al. Effect of glycemic index on whole-body substrate oxidation in obese women. Int J Obes 29, 108–114 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802592

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802592

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links