Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Randomized Controlled Trial to Study the Acute Effects of Strength Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Adults
Published on: December 1, 2023
Glycemic response to carbohydrate and the effects of exercise and protein
Shelley Roberts1, Ben Desbrow, Gary Grant
1Griffith University School of Public Health, Queensland, Australia. s.roberts@griffith.edu.au
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-exercise and protein coingestion on the glycemic response to carbohydrates.
Methods:
Twenty-one volunteers (13 males and 8 females) aged 22 y (± 3.8 y) participated in four trials in random order. These included: 1) glucose ingestion at rest (RG), 2) glucose and protein ingestion at rest (RGP), 3) glucose ingestion after exercise (EG), and 4) glucose and protein ingestion after exercise (EGP). Exercise consisted of 45 min of cycling at 60% of participants' age-predicted maximum heart rate. Test drinks contained 50 g glucose or 50 g glucose with 20 g whey protein. Venous blood samples were taken at baseline and subsequently every 15 min for 2 h after drink consumption. Blood plasma was subsequently analyzed for glucose and insulin.
Results:
Plasma glucose concentration was significantly lower in the RGP group than in the RG group at 30, 45, 60, and 75 min and in the EGP group than in the EG group at 30, 45, and 60 min (P < 0.05). Plasma insulin area under the curve was significantly higher in the RGP group than in the RG group and in than in the EGP group than in the EG group (P < 0.05). No significant effect of exercise was seen on glycemic or insulinemic responses.
Conclusions:
Coingestion of protein with carbohydrate reduces glycemic response and increases insulinemic response in healthy subjects, whereas pre-exercise seems to have no effect.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose
During fasting, when blood glucose levels are low, the pancreas secretes glucagon. it...
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Metabolic States of the Body: The Absorptive State
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

