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Glucose kinetics differ between women and men, during and after exercise
Tracy J Horton1, Gary K Grunwald, Jennifer Lavely
1Section of Nutrition, Box C225, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East 9th Ave., and Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Denver, CO 80262, USA. tracy.horton@uchsc.edu
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|May 23, 2006
Summary
Women exhibit lower glucose flux during exercise and post-exercise compared to men. These sex differences in glucose metabolism may be influenced by hormonal factors like epinephrine and glucagon.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Metabolic Regulation
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Exercise enhances glucose and carbohydrate metabolism regulation.
- Understanding biological factors like sex is crucial for optimizing exercise outcomes.
- Previous research indicates potential sex-based differences in metabolic responses to exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare glucose kinetics between women and men during rest, exercise, and post-exercise recovery.
- To investigate the influence of sex on glucose flux and substrate metabolism during and after moderate-intensity exercise.
Main Methods:
- Healthy, normal-weight women and men were matched for activity level and lean body mass.
- Subjects underwent diet control and were tested in an overnight-fasted state.
- Measurements of glucose appearance (Ra) and disappearance (Rd) were taken at rest, during 90 minutes of exercise (85% lactate threshold), and during 180 minutes of post-exercise recovery.
Main Results:
- Women demonstrated significantly lower glucose Ra and Rd during exercise compared to men.
- Exercise epinephrine concentrations and the increment in glucagon from rest were lower in women.
- Post-exercise glucose Ra and Rd were also significantly lower in women, with diminishing differences over time.
Conclusions:
- Circulating blood glucose flux is significantly lower in women compared to men during moderate exercise and immediately post-exercise.
- Sex differences in exercise-induced hormonal responses, specifically glucagon and epinephrine, may contribute to these observed differences in glucose turnover.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in exercise metabolism research.
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