Intermittent versus continuous enteral nutrition attenuates increases in insulin and leptin during short-term bed rest

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2020-09, Vol.120 (9), p.2083-2094
• Main Authors: Gonzalez, Javier T., Dirks, Marlou L., Holwerda, Andrew M., Kouw, Imre W. K., van Loon, Luc J. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Bed Rest - methods; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Enteral feeding; Enteral nutrition; Enteral Nutrition - methods; Female; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 - blood; Glucose - metabolism; Human Physiology; Humans; Immobilization; Insulin; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Leptin; Leptin - blood; Male; Metabolites; Nutrition; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original; Original Article; Plasma; Rest - physiology; Sports Medicine
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-020-04431-4

Purpose To compare endocrine responses to intermittent vs continuous enteral nutrition provision during short-term bed rest. Methods Twenty healthy men underwent 7 days of bed rest, during which they were randomized to receive enteral nutrition (47%E as carbohydrate, 34%E as fat, 16%E as protein and 3%E as fibre) in a continuous (CONTINUOUS; n  = 10; 24 h day −1 at a constant rate) or intermittent (INTERMITTENT; n  = 10; as 4 meals per day separated by 5 h) pattern. Daily plasma samples were taken every morning to assess metabolite/hormone concentrations. Results During bed rest, plasma leptin concentrations were elevated to a lesser extent with INTERMITTENT vs CONTINUOUS (iAUC: 0.42 ± 0.38 vs 0.95 ± 0.48 nmol L −1 , respectively; P  = 0.014) as were insulin concentrations (interaction effect, P