Abstract
PurposeAlthough acute prolonged strenuous exercise has been shown to increase markers of gastrointestinal permeability and damage, little is known regarding the efficacy of nutritional supplement interventions on the attenuation of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. This study addressed the effects of oral amino acid supplementation on markers of gastrointestinal permeability and damage in response to exercise.MethodsSixteen active men aged 22.7 ± 2.6 years (mean ± standard deviation) completed placebo or cystine and glutamine supplementation trials in random order. Participants received either a placebo or cystine and glutamine supplements, three times a day for 5 days, separated by a 2-week washout period. On day 6, participants took their designated supplements 30 min before running at a speed corresponding to 75% of maximal oxygen uptake for 1 h, followed by a 4-h rest period. Blood samples were collected pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, 30 min post-exercise, and 1, 2 and 4 h post-exercise on day 6. The plasma lactulose to mannitol ratio (L:M) and plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) were used as markers of gastrointestinal permeability and damage, respectively.ResultsPlasma L:M (linear mixed model, coefficient ± standard error: − 0.011 ± 0.004, P = 0.0090) and changes (i.e., from pre-exercise) in plasma I-FABP (linear mixed model, − 195.3 ± 65.7 coefficient ± standard error (pg/mL), P = 0.0035) were lower in the cystine and glutamine supplementation trial than in the placebo trial.ConclusionOral cystine and glutamine supplementation attenuated the markers of gastrointestinal permeability and damage after 1 h of strenuous running in young men.Trial registration numberUMIN000026008.Date of registration13 December 2018.
Highlights
An acute bout of strenuous exercise has been shown to increase gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal cellular damage, attenuating barrier function and this leads to an initial pro-inflammatory cascade, eventually causing gastrointestinal distress [1,2,3]
These exercise-induced increases in gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal cellular damage are thought to be mediated via the following two main mechanisms: (1) an increase in core temperature during or shortly after strenuous exercise and/or (2) reduced total splanchnic perfusion, causing gastrointestinal ischemia [4]. These changes in gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal cellular damage are transient, it is important to address the chronic consequences of repeated bouts of training sessions that lead to chronic health complications, including chronic inflammatory conditions and fatigue [5]
Some nutritional supplement intervention studies, including bovine colostrum, polyphenols, probiotics, and amino acids have examined the effects of supplementation on exercise-induced increases in gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal cellular damage
Summary
An acute bout of strenuous exercise has been shown to increase gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal cellular damage, attenuating barrier function and this leads to an initial pro-inflammatory cascade, eventually causing gastrointestinal distress [1,2,3] These exercise-induced increases in gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal cellular damage are thought to be mediated via the following two main mechanisms: (1) an increase in core temperature during or shortly after strenuous exercise and/or (2) reduced total splanchnic perfusion, causing gastrointestinal ischemia [4]. These findings indicate that glutamine and cystine may play important roles in protecting intestinal barrier function via heat and oxidative stress-induced signaling pathways, respectively It remains unknown whether combined glutamine and cystine supplementation can effectively attenuate the exercise-induced increase in gastrointestinal permeability and damage in humans
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