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Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology 1/2019

01-01-2019 | Original Article

Carbohydrate oxidation and glucose utilisation under hyperglycaemia in aged and young males during exercise at the same relative exercise intensity

Authors: James J. Malone, Minoo Bassami, Sarah C. Waldron, Iain T. Campbell, Andrew Hulton, Dominic Doran, Don P. MacLaren

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the age-related carbohydrate oxidation and glucose utilisation rate response during exercise at the same relative intensity under hyperglycaemia in aged and young males.

Methods

16 endurance-trained aged (n = 8; 69.1 ± 5.2 year) and young (n = 8; 22.4 ± 2.9 year) males were studied during 40 min of cycling exercise (60% \(\dot {V}{{\text{O}}_{{\text{2max}}}}\)) under both hyperglycaemic and euglycaemic (control) conditions. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline, post-infusion, mid- and post-exercise. Carbohydrate and fat oxidation rates were determined at both 15 and 35 min during exercise, and glucose utilisation rates were calculated.

Results

The aged group displayed significantly lower rates of carbohydrate oxidation during exercise during maintained hyperglycemia (15 min = 2.3 ± 0.4 vs. 1.6 ± 0.5 g min−1; 35 min = 2.3 ± 0.5 vs. 1.5 ± 0.5 g min−1) and control (15 min = 2.2 ± 0.4 vs. 1.6 ± 0.7 g min−1; 35 min = 1.9 ± 0.7 vs. 1.3 ± 0.7 g min−1) conditions (P = 0.01). The rate of glucose utilisation during exercise was also significantly reduced (85.76 ± 23.95 vs. 56.67 ± 15.09 μM kg−1 min−1). There were no differences between age groups for anthropometric measures, fat oxidation, insulin, glucose, NEFA, glycerol and lactate (P > 0.05) although hyperglycemia resulted in elevated glucose and insulin, and attenuated fat metabolite levels.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight that ageing results in a reduction in carbohydrate oxidation and utilisation rates during exercise at the same relative exercise intensity.
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Metadata
Title
Carbohydrate oxidation and glucose utilisation under hyperglycaemia in aged and young males during exercise at the same relative exercise intensity
Authors
James J. Malone
Minoo Bassami
Sarah C. Waldron
Iain T. Campbell
Andrew Hulton
Dominic Doran
Don P. MacLaren
Publication date
01-01-2019
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 1/2019
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-4019-4

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