Acute Changes in Heart Rate Variability to Glucose and Fructose Supplementation in Healthy Individuals: A Double-Blind Randomized Crossover Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: It is unknown how different types of carbohydrates alter the cardio-autonomic system in healthy individuals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how heart-rate variability changes to single dose ingestion of glucose, fructose, glucose and fructose, and an artificial sweetener (sucralose). Methods: In a double-blind randomized crossover placebo-controlled setting, 15 participants received all study-specific substances in liquid form. During each 2-h visit, venous blood glucose was measured in a 5-min interval while heart-rate variability was measured continuously via Holter-electrocardiograph. Results: Ingestion of different types of carbohydrates and sucralose showed significant differences for heart rate (p < 0.001), SDNN (p < 0.008), RMSSD (p < 0.001), pNN50 (p < 0.001) and blood pressure (p < 0.001). Different glucose levels significantly altered parameters of heart-rate variability and blood pressure (all p < 0.001), while the rate of change in blood glucose led to changes in heart rate variability, but not in heart rate (p = 0.25) or blood pressure (p = 0.99). Conclusions: Ingestion of different types of carbohydrates lead to reductions in heart-rate variability compared to a placebo. Blood glucose values above or below 70–90 mg/dL decreased heart rate variability while this was also seen for rapid glucose changes, yet not as pronounced. Healthy individuals should be conscious about carbohydrate intake while maintaining blood glucose levels between 70–90 mg/dL.

Keep Your Mask On: The Benefits of Masking for Behavior and the Contributions of Aging and Disease on Dysfunctional Masking Pathways

“…In addition, Tanaka et al (1999) provided restricted food access for 6 h during the lights-on (inactive) phase in nocturnal rats and found that the organisms became more active. It should be noted that a recent study showed that heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure (BP) are directly affected by changes in blood glucose levels which rise as a result of food intake, and that various types of carbohydrates affect heart rate differently, suggesting that acute changes in food intake affect physiology in humans ( Eckstein et al, 2022 ). There is also evidence in the literature suggesting acute meal-induced metabolic changes result in acute inflammatory responses in humans that may lead to an increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases ( Mazidi et al, 2021 ).…”

Acute Intake of Fructose Increases Arterial Pressure in Humans: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

“…Unfortunately, our search for studies in human subjects was only able to identify controlled studies reporting the acute effects of acute fructose ingestion (several hours). In contrast, animal studies showing deleterious effects on hemodynamics have largely assessed the long-term effects (weeks to months) of fructose on blood pressure [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ], with some animal studies using dietary amounts exceeding what is typically ingested by people [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. We identified only a limited number of publications reporting the direct effects of fructose on blood pressure in humans.…”

Glucose and Fructose Supplementation and Their Acute Effects on Anaerobic Endurance and Resistance Exercise Performance in Healthy Individuals: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

“…Considering this, our study demonstrates clear evidence that pre-exercise CHO consumption, independent of composition, does not have an ergogenic effect on performance in high-intensity anaerobic endurance exercise and moderate resistance exercise. The metabolic responses at rest seen in this study following the consumption of CHO have previously been investigated by our research group [ 17 , 25 , 26 ]. On this basis, this study was conducted since the time until reaching peak blood glucose and peak lactate values are reached in healthy individuals roughly 30 min after consumption which could have had the implication of a higher performance in comparison to placebo.…”

“…However, for safety reasons and the level of experience of the participants, we were unable to increase the weights. Since the metabolic responses to the applied protocol at rest are well-researched, our findings may deliver valuable information for male and female athletes consuming CHO drinks regularly prior to exercise [ 17 , 25 , 26 ].…”