Cardiovascular and Orthostatic Responses to a Festive Meal Associated With Alcohol in Young Men.

Delphine Sarafian,Claire Maufrais,Nathalie Charrière,Jean-Pierre Montani

doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.01183

Abstract

Aim: Sharing a festive meal associated with alcohol is quite common. While the cardiovascular changes occurring after meal ingestion of different nutrient composition has been well-established, the effects of ingesting a festive versus a standard meal accompanied with alcohol are less clear. Here, we compared the postprandial hemodynamics, cutaneous and psychomotor performance responses after ingestion of a classical Swiss festive meal [cheese fondue (CF)] versus a light ready-meal [Nasi Goreng (NG)], both accompanied with white wine.Methods: In a randomized cross over design, we examined in 12 healthy young men, the continuous cardiovascular, cutaneous, and reaction time responses to ingestion of cheese fondue versus a standard meal at rest (sitting position) and hemodynamic changes in response to orthostatic challenge (active standing) in pre- and postprandial phases.Results: Breath alcohol concentration after wine ingestion was similar after both meal types. Compared to the standard meal, consumption of CF induced higher increases in heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), double product (DP) and cardiac power output (CPO), greater vasodilation, and rises in skin blood flow and skin temperature. Greater increases in HR, DP, and mean blood pressure (MBP) were observed during orthostatic challenges with CF compared to NG. A two-choice reaction time task revealed similar reaction times with both meals, suggesting no influence of meal composition on psychomotor performance.Conclusion: In sitting position, CF ingestion induced a more important cardiovascular load compared to NG. Although the dose of alcohol and the festive meal used here did not lead to orthostatic hypotension, eating CF induced a greater cardiometabolic load suggesting that hemodynamic reserves have been encroached during active standing. This may impede the cardiovascular capacity during physical exercise or stress situations, particularly in elderly subjects who are at greater risk for postprandial hypotension and cardiovascular diseases.

Highlights

The simple act of eating induces a multitude of physiological reactions in our body such as cardiovascular and metabolic changes that are both centrally and peripherally driven
We show that (1) total alcohol intake was slightly higher with CF meal, breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) tended to be lower compared to Nasi Goreng (NG); (2) ingestion of cheese fondue, a high caloric meal, led to a greater cardiac load compared to a lighter meal, as shown by higher increases in heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), double product (DP), and cardiac power output (CPO) and to greater cutaneous responses; (3) basal increases in HR and DP during orthostatic challenges were amplified after CF compared to NG; and (4) the type of meal ingested had no influence on psychomotor performance as assessed by reaction time task
The present study suggested that compared to a light meal (NG), the consumption of an energy-dense festive meal (CF) induced a greater cardiovascular load in sitting position

Summary

Introduction

The simple act of eating induces a multitude of physiological reactions in our body such as cardiovascular and metabolic changes that are both centrally and peripherally driven. One of the hemodynamic responses that occurs postprandially is the redistribution of blood flow, with a pooling of blood in the abdominal vasculature (Lipsitz et al, 1993) and a rise in mesenteric blood flow especially after a high-fat meal (Sidery et al, 1991). A drop in systemic peripheral resistance accompanies this phenomenon but is usually compensated in healthy young subjects by rises in heart rate and cardiac output (Fagan et al, 1986; Hauser et al, 2016). Festive meals rich in fat and calories are known to induce gastric discomfort (Parker et al, 2017). Compared to a low-fat meal, the consumption of a single high-fat meal could exacerbate cardiovascular reactivity during behavioral stress tasks (Jakulj et al, 2007)

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