Hormonal factors in reduced postprandial heat production of exercise-trained subjects

The influence of exercise training on postprandial heat production was investigated in human subjects. Whereas resting metabolic rate was comparable for trained and nontrained subjects, the heat increment of feeding (HIF) after subjects consumed a meal containing 755 kcal was approximately 50% smaller in the trained subjects. Measurements of respiratory quotient also indicated a reduction of about 50% in glucose oxidation associated with exercise training. The levels of plasma norepinephrine increased significantly (P less than 0.01) from 200 to 300 pg/ml in the sedentary subjects, but the changes observed in trained subjects were not significant. During the early phase of the meal, plasma levels of insulin were increased, even before nutrients appeared in the blood. Throughout the study the enhanced sensitivity to insulin of the trained subjects was confirmed. the postprandial heat production was diminished in exercise-trained subjects, and it is suggested that this could be related to a reduced activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Another possibility is that this reduction in HIF is related to a facilitation of glucose disposal in the form of glycogen rather than in the form of lipids.