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Effects of brief perturbations in energy balance on indices of glucose homeostasis in healthy lean men

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 1094–1101 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Little is known about the effects of short-term caloric restriction (CR) and overfeeding (OF) on glucose homeostasis in healthy lean individuals. In addition, it remains unclear whether the effects of CR and OF are reversed by a complementary feeding period.

METHODS:

Ten healthy men participated in two cycles of controlled 7-day periods of CR and refeeding (RF; protocol A), and OF and CR (protocol B) at ±60% energy requirement. At baseline, insulin sensitivity (IS) was assessed by euglycemic clamp (M). Before and during each feeding cycle, fasting and oral glucose tolerance test-derived indices were used to estimate glucose tolerance, IS and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

RESULTS:

Clamp tests revealed normal IS at baseline (M-values 9.4±2.1 mg kg−1 min−1, coefficient of variation (CV)inter 22%). M-values were significantly correlated with indices of IS. In protocol A, CR-induced weight loss (−3.0±0.4 kg) was associated with an increase in fasting IS. Postprandial IS and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion remained unchanged, but glucose tolerance decreased. RF decreased fasting and postprandial IS at increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In protocol B, OF significantly increased the body weight (+1.6±0.9 kg). Concomitantly, fasting and postprandial IS decreased at increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Subsequent CR reversed these effects. Inter-individual variability in indices of glucose metabolism was high with coefficients of variation ranging from 9 to 59%.

CONCLUSION:

Significant changes in glucose metabolism are evident within 7-day periods of controlled OF and underfeeding. Although IS was impaired at the end of the CR–RF cycle, IS was normalized after the OF–CR cycle. At different feeding regimens, homeostatic responses of glucose metabolism were highly variable.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Anne Morgenstern, Lena Vogt and Ruth Apolony for their tireless assistance in data collection. We also thank Birgit Rümcker for the assistance with the food preparation, Jutta Schwanbom for assisting with the laboratory analyses and the study subjects for their participation. The study was supported by a grant of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG-GZ: Bo 3296/1-1).

Author contributions

Study design (ABW, MJM), data collection (ML, ABW), laboratory analyses (AP), data analyses (ML, BK), discussion of data (ML, ABW, BK, MJM), writing of the manuscript (ML, ABW, MJM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany

    M Lagerpusch, A Bosy-Westphal, B Kehden & M J Müller

  2. Medical Clinic 1, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

    A Peters

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  1. M Lagerpusch
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Correspondence to M J Müller.

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Lagerpusch, M., Bosy-Westphal, A., Kehden, B. et al. Effects of brief perturbations in energy balance on indices of glucose homeostasis in healthy lean men. Int J Obes 36, 1094–1101 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.211

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