Effect of a carbohydrate supplement on feeding behaviour and exercise in rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia

• Published in: Appetite Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 127 - 135
• Main Authors: Sharma, A, Singh, S.B, Panjwani, U, Yadav, D.K, Amitabh, K, Singh, S, Selvamurthy, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Altitude; Animals; Applied physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Weight - drug effects; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Dietary Supplements; Drinking - drug effects; Eating - drug effects; Fatigue; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Hypoxia - physiopathology; Insulin - metabolism; Liver Glycogen - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Physical Conditioning, Animal - physiology; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Time Factors; Transports. Aerospace. Diving. Altitude; Physical exercise; Human; Animal model; Rat; Rodentia; Supplemented diet; Case control study; Weight gain; Prevention; Acute mountain sickness; Vertebrata; Randomization; Mammalia; Reproducibility; Animal; Hypoxia; Endurance; Carbohydrate; Supplementation; Hypobarism; Altitude
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1006/appe.2002.0497

The effect of a carbohydrate supplement, offered as a diet option, on feeding behaviour, body weight gain, and endurance exercise was studied in rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. Male albino rats (n=35) were randomly divided into 5 groups; hypoxic supplemented and control groups; normoxic supplemented and control groups, and an untreated control group. After treadmill training for 5 days, the hypoxic groups were exposed to simulated high altitude equivalent to 6960m for 18 days continuously. Food and water intakes, body weight and endurance exercise were recorded before and during the exposure period. Blood glucose, insulin, muscle and liver glycogen were assayed at the end of the exposure period. Hypobaric hypoxia resulted in a significant decrease in food and water intake, and body weight, and reduced endurance exercise capacity compared to the basal and normoxic group values. The carbohydrate supplement did not ameliorate the hypoxia-induced loss in body weight, but however, significantly delayed the onset of fatigue during exercise in the supplemented rats compared to the hypoxic control group.