Abstract
BackgroundThe mechanisms by which chronic stress increases the risk of non-communicable diseases remain poorly understood. On one hand, chronic stress may increase systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and blood pressure, which may lead to blood vessels injury and altered myocardial perfusion. On the other hand, chronic stress may promote the overconsumption of sugar-containing foods and favor obesity. There is indeed evidence that sweet foods are preferentially consumed to alleviate stress responses. The effects of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) on hemodynamic stress responses remain however largely unknown.Objective/designThis study aimed at comparing the effects of sucrose-containing and NNS-containing drinks, as compared to unsweetened water, on hemodynamic responses to acute stress in twelve healthy female subjects. Acute stress responses were elicited by a 30-min mental stress (5-min Stroop’s test alternated with 5-min mental arithmetic) and a 3-min cold pressure test (CPT), each preceded by a resting baseline period. Hemodynamic stress responses were investigated by the repeated measurement of mean arterial pressure and the continuous monitoring of cardiac output by thoracic electrical bioimpedance measurement. SVR was selected as a primary outcome because it is a sensitive measure of hemodynamic responses to acute stress procedures.ResultsWith all three drinks, SVR were not changed with mental stress (P = 0.437), but were increased with CPT (P = 0.045). Both mental stress and CPT increased mean arterial pressure and heart rate (all P < 0.001). Cardiac output increased with mental stress (P < 0.001) and remained unchanged with CPT (P = 0.252). No significant differences in hemodynamic responses were observed between water, sucrose and NNS (stress × condition, all P > 0.05).ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that sucrose and NNS do not alter hemodynamic responses to two different standardized acute stress protocols.
Highlights
Psychosocial stress is currently suspected to play an important role in the development of non-communicable diseases[1]
With all three drinks, systemic vascular resistance (SVR) were not changed with mental stress (P = 0.437), but were increased with cold pressure test (CPT) (P = 0.045)
Cardiac output increased with mental stress (P < 0.001) and remained unchanged with CPT (P = 0.252)
Summary
Psychosocial stress is currently suspected to play an important role in the development of non-communicable diseases[1] This is notably based on observations that both acute and chronic stress can favor consumption of energy-dense foods[2], and that stress-induced. Cros et al Nutrition and Diabetes (2020)10:1 that exposure to chronic stress may trigger the consumption of sweet foods in order to alleviate stress responses[10] Such stress-induced eating behavior may be associated with a risk of energy overconsumption and obesity[11]. One study reported that sucrose, but not saccharin, decreased intracerebral CRF secretion in adrenalectomized rats, suggesting that energy-dependent metabolic effects of sucrose were involved[15] This hypothesis was further supported by a human study showing that salivary cortisol response to mental stress was decreased after a high-sucrose diet, but increased after a NNS-containing diet[16]. The effects of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) on hemodynamic stress responses remain largely unknown
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