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Effect of a 3-day high-fat feeding period on carbohydrate balance and ad libitum energy intake in humans

International Journal of Obesity volume 34, pages 886–891 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

A reduction in glycogen after the switch to an isoenergetic high-fat diet (HFD) might promote a compensatory increase in food intake to reestablish carbohydrate balance. We assessed the effect of an isoenergetic switch from a 49%-carbohydrate to 50%-fat diet on nutrient balance and ad libitum food intake. We hypothesized that carbohydrate balance would be inversely related to ad libitum energy intake.

Methods:

In 47 men and 11 women (22.6±0.4 years; 26.1±0.5 kg m–2), fuel balance was measured in a respiration chamber over 4 days. During the first day, an isoenergetic, high-carbohydrate diet was provided followed by a 3-day isoenergetic, HFD. At the end of this period and after 16 h of fasting, three options of foods (cookies, fruit salad and turkey sandwich) were offered ad libitum for 4 h. The relationships between post-chamber ad libitum intake and macronutrient oxidation and balance measured day-to-day and over the 4-day respiration chamber stay were studied.

Results:

After switching to a HFD, 24-h respiratory quotient decreased from 0.87±0.02 to 0.83±0.02 (P<0.0001) resulting in a 4-day cumulative carbohydrate, fat and protein balances of −183±368, 342±480 and 65±267 kcal, respectively. Cumulative energy balance (224±362 kcal per 4 days) did not influence ad libitum energy intake. However, we detected that 4-day carbohydrate balance was a positive and independent predictor of post-chamber ad libitum energy intake (R2=0.10; P=0.01), whereas no significant influence of fat and protein balances was found.

Conclusion:

In response to an isoenergetic change from a high-carbohydrate to HFD, higher carbohydrate balance related to increased energy intake.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by US Department of Agriculture grant 2003-34323-14010 and the National Institutes of Health Clinical Nutrition Research Unit 1 P30 DK072476-01. Jose Galgani is supported by a fellowship from the International Nutrition Foundation/Ellison Medical Foundation.

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  1. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    J E Galgani, L de Jonge, M M Most, G A Bray & S R Smith

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  1. J E Galgani
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  2. L de Jonge
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  4. G A Bray
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Correspondence to S R Smith.

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Galgani, J., de Jonge, L., Most, M. et al. Effect of a 3-day high-fat feeding period on carbohydrate balance and ad libitum energy intake in humans. Int J Obes 34, 886–891 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.16

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