Serial gastric emptying studies: effect of preceding drinks

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• The serial recovery method is commonly used to assess gastric emptying.
• Concerns exist that residual duodenal contents may impact subsequent gastric emptying measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if prior duodenal contents influence gastric emptying measurements using the serial recovery method.
• To validate the serial recovery method under conditions with varying preceding drink compositions.

Main Methods:

• Six healthy volunteers participated in the study.
• Gastric emptying of water was measured after consuming either water or a 23% maltodextrin solution.
• All trials involved a 400 ml volume and were conducted at rest.

Main Results:

• The gastric emptying rate of water was not significantly different when preceded by water (14.9 ml/min) versus a maltodextrin solution (16.3 ml/min).
• This indicates no significant carry-over effect from the preceding drink composition.

Conclusions:

• The serial recovery method is a valid technique for assessing gastric emptying rates.
• The method remains reliable even when preceding drinks vary in composition, both at rest and during exercise.