Effects of inducing physiological hyperglucagonemia on metabolic responses to exercise
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

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Published on: December 1, 2023
Patrice Bélanger1, Yovan Fillion, Karine Couturier
1Département de kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 succ. Centre-ville, H3C 3J7 Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Abstract:
The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of exogenously increasing the circulating levels of glucagon on the metabolic responses to exercise in rats. A total of six groups of rats were infused (iv) either with glucagon (20 or 50 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1)) or saline (0.9% NaCl), either in the resting state or during a bout of running exercise (45 min, 26 m x min(-1), 0% grade). Blood samples were taken at the end of the 45-min experiment. Animals infused with glucagon at 50 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1) showed significantly (P<0.01) higher mean plasma glucagon concentrations than animals infused with saline or glucagon at 20 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1). In addition, exercise resulted in significantly (P<0.05) higher mean plasma glucagon concentrations, compared to rest, in all groups. In spite of these differences in glucagon concentrations, there were no significant (P>0.05) effects of exercise and glucagon infusion on mean hepatic glycogen, plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, beta-hydroxybutyrate, or catecholamine concentrations. Although exercise resulted in a significant (P<0.01) increase in plasma glycerol and free fatty acid concentrations and a significant (P<0.05) decrease in glycogen in the soleus muscle, these responses were not affected by the glucagon infusion. These results suggest that the liver is non-responsive to physiological hyperglucagonemia in a short-term (45 min) exercise situation.
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