Effect of Ingestion of Medium-Chain Triglycerides on Substrate Oxidation during Aerobic Exercise Could Depend on Sex Difference in Middle-Aged Sedentary Persons

Fat oxidation (FAO) during aerobic exercise and whole-body FAO via lipid intake are thought to be important for the maintenance of health, such as the prevention of type 2 diabetes and obesity in sedentary persons in their 40s and 50s. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) ingestion has been attracting attention. However, the effects of difference of sex and the composition of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are unclear, so we examined the effects of these factors on FAO during aerobic exercise. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-arm, within-participants crossover trial. FAO during low- to moderate-intensity exercise was compared when octanoate-rich MCTs (C8R), decanoate-rich MCTs (C10R), or carbohydrate (control) was ingested. Three 2-week interventions were separated by two 2-week washout periods. An increase of FAO during exercise after the C8R diet was found in males, but not in females. An increase of carbohydrate oxidation (CAO) and oxygen uptake during exercise after the C10R diet was found in females, but not in males. In a pooled estimate of the effect of MCTs (C8R and C10R) in women and men, FAO increased during exercise. In conclusion, short-term ingestion of MCTs by middle-aged sedentary persons could increase FAO during aerobic exercise compared to carbohydrate ingestion, but the enhancing effect of MCTs on substrate utilization and oxygen uptake might vary, depending on sex and the composition of MCFAs

Progression of coronary atherosclerosis: Is coronary spasm related to progression?

AbstractA total of 239 patients undergoing serial coronary angiography with a concomitant ergonovine provocation test were studied between July 1974 and June 1987. The progression of coronary artery disease was evaluated in relation to risk factors, especially coronary artery spasm. Patients were classified into three groups: 1) new myocardial infarction group (39 patients); 2) progression without infarction group (90 patients); and 3) nonprogression group (110 patients).To assess how risk factors and coronary spasm are related to the occurrence of new myocardial infarction and progression without infarction, 11 variables in the three groups were examined: age, gender, the time interval between the studies, fasting blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, smoking, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, uric acid and a positive response to the ergonovine provocation test. Multiple regression analysis selected three independent predictors of progression without infarction: cholesterol (p < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) and a positive response to the ergonovine provocation test (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis also selected three independent predictors of the occurrence of new myocardial infarction: fasting blood sugar (p < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) and a positive response to the ergonovine provocation test (p < 0.001). A positive response to the ergonovine provocation test was the strongest factor for occurrence of both new myocardial infarction and progression without infarction.To evaluate segmental arterial changes, 3,275 coronary artery segments were analyzed in the 239 patients. Both new myocardial infarction and progression without infarction frequently occurred in the proximal segments of the right coronary artery, the proximal and middle segments of the left anterior descending artery and the middle segments of the circumflex coronary artery. Although occurrence of both new myocardial infarction and progression without infarction were often evident in coronary artery segments with severe narrowing, >50% of new myocardial infarctions occurred in relation to segments narrowed <50%.The study strongly suggests that coronary spasticity may play a significant role in progression of coronary artery disease and that usual risk factors are closely related to the disease progression. The study also demonstrates that patients with myocardial infarction often show a “jump-up” phenomenon in which a minimal coronary stenosis progresses to total obstruction