Carbohydrate restriction with postmeal walking effectively mitigates postprandial hyperglycemia and improves endothelial function in type 2 diabetes

Postprandial hyperglycemia has deleterious effects on endothelial function. Restricting carbohydrate intake and postmeal walking have each been shown to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia, but their combination and subsequent effects on endothelial function have not been investigated. Here, we sought to examine the effect of blunting postprandial hyperglycemia by following a low-carbohydrate diet, with or without postmeal walking exercise, on markers of vascular health in type 2 diabetes (T2D). In a randomized crossover design, individuals with T2D (n \u3c 11) completed three 4-day controlled diet interventions consisting of 1) low-carbohydrate diet alone (LC), 2) low-carbohydrate diet with 15-min postmeal walks (LC \u3e Ex), and 3) low-fat control diet (CON). Fasting blood samples and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (%FMD) were measured before and after each intervention. Total circulating microparticles (MPs), endothelial MPs, platelet MPs, monocyte-platelet aggregates, and adhesion molecules were assessed as biomarkers of vascular health. There was a significant condition = time interaction for %FMD (P \u3c 0.01), with post hoc tests revealing improved %FMD after LC \u3e Ex (\u3e0.8 ± 1.0%, P \u3c 0.02), with no change after LC or CON. Endothelial MPs were significantly reduced with the LC diet by ~45% (from 99 ± 60 to 44 ± 31 MPs/μl, P \u3c 0.02), with no change after LC \u3e Ex or CON (interaction: P \u3c 0.04). Total MPs were lower (main effect time: P \u3c 0.02), whereas monocyte-platelet aggregates were higher (main effect time: P = 0.01) after all interventions. Plasma adhesion molecules and C-reactive protein were unaltered. Attenuating postprandial hyperglycemic excursions using a low-carbohydrate diet combined with postmeal walking appears to be an effective strategy to improve endothelial function in individuals with T2D. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Carbohydrate restriction and postmeal walking lower postprandial hyperglycemia in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Here, we show that the combination significantly improved endothelial function and that carbohydrate restriction alone reduced circulating endothelial microparticles in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Listen to this article\u27s corresponding podcast at http://ajpheart.pod-bean.com/e/low-carb-diet-and-exercise-improve-endothelial-health/

Nutritional ketone salts increase fat oxidation but impair high-intensity exercise performance in healthy adult males

This study investigated the impact of raising plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) through ingestion of ketone salts on substrate oxidation and performance during cycling exercise. Ten healthy adult males (23 ± 3 years, BMI 25 ± 3 kg/m2, VO2peak 45 ± 10 ml/kg/min) were recruited to complete two experimental trials. Before enrollment in the experimental conditions, baseline anthropometrics and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) were assessed and familiarization to the study protocol was provided. On experimental days, participants reported to the laboratory in the fasted state and consumed either 0.3 g/kg β-OHB ketone salts or a flavor-matched placebo 30 minutes prior to engaging in cycling exercise. Subjects completed steady-state exercise at 30%, 60%, and 90% ventilatory threshold (VT) followed by a 150 kJ cycling time trial. Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and total substrate oxidation were derived from indirect calorimetry. Plasma glucose, lactate, and ketones were measured at baseline, 30 minutes post-supplement, post-steady-state exercise, and immediately following the time trial. Plasma β-OHB was elevated from baseline and throughout the entire protocol in the ketone condition (pThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Aerobic Interval Training and Cardiometabolic Health in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis

Vigorous to maximal aerobic interval training (INT) has received remarkable interest in improving cardiometabolic outcomes for type 2 diabetes patients recently, yet with inconsistent findings. This meta-analysis was aimed to quantify its effectiveness in type 2 diabetes. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified by searches of 3 databases to October 2017, which evaluated the effects of INT with a minimal training duration of 8 weeks vs. moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) or non-exercise training (NET) among type 2 diabetes patients on outcomes including cardiorespiratory fitness, glycemic control, body composition, blood pressure, and lipid profiles. Weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with the random-effects model. Nine datasets from 7 RCTs with 189 patients were included. Compared with MICT, INT improved maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) by 2.60 ml/kg/min (95% CI: 1.32 to 3.88 ml/kg/min, P <0.001) and decreased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) by 0.26% (95% CI: −0.46% to −0.07%, P = 0.008). These outcomes for INT were also significant vs. energy expenditure-matched MICT, with VO2max increased by 2.18 ml/kg/min (P = 0.04) and HbA1c decreased by 0.28% (P = 0.01). Yet their magnitudes of changes were larger compared with NET, with VO2max increased by 6.38 ml/kg/min (P <0.001) and HbA1c reduced by 0.83% (P = 0.004). Systolic blood pressure could be lowered by INT compared with energy expenditure-matched MICT or NET (both P <0.05), but other cardiometabolic markers and body composition were not significantly altered in general. In conclusion, despite a limited number of studies, INT improves cardiometabolic health especially for VO2max and HbA1c among patients with type 2 diabetes, and might be considered an alternative to MICT. Yet the optimal training protocols still require to be established