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Sympathetic nervous system response to intake

S Welle1

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Rochester, New York, USA.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|November 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a small role in daily energy expenditure. Despite theories, reduced SNS activity does not explain obesity or the body

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Metabolism
  • Neuroendocrinology

Background:

  • The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) influences metabolic rate and energy expenditure.
  • Postprandial SNS activity increases thermogenesis, with norepinephrine as a key neurotransmitter.
  • The role of SNS activity in obesity and energy balance remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the contribution of sympathetic nervous system activity to total energy expenditure.
  • To assess the role of SNS activity in adaptive thermogenesis during overeating and energy deprivation.
  • To critically examine the hypothesis linking reduced SNS activity to obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Pharmacologic blockade of norepinephrine's thermogenic effect to quantify its contribution.
  • Analysis of energy expenditure and SNS activity during overeating and energy deprivation.
  • Review and critical evaluation of existing studies on SNS activity in lean and obese humans.

Main Results:

  • SNS activity increases post-meal, contributing approximately 20% to the thermic effect of food.
  • Sustained overeating increases energy expenditure, but not demonstrably via increased SNS activity in humans.
  • Energy expenditure decreases with energy deprivation, accompanied by reduced SNS activity, though this reduction is not the sole cause.
  • The SNS contribution to total energy expenditure in normal-weight individuals on a maintenance diet is minimal (<5%).

Conclusions:

  • Sympathetic nervous system activity has a limited role in overall energy expenditure in humans.
  • The hypothesis that reduced SNS activity contributes to obesity is not supported by current evidence.
  • While SNS activity is modulated by nutritional status, its direct link to the development of obesity is untenable.

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