Suiker in perspectief editie 52 | mei 2021

DR. JAVIER GONZALEZ, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE DEPARTMENT FOR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 10| Can carbohydrate intake stimulate physical activity? Suiker in perspectief, mei 2021 Can carbohydrate intake stimulate physical activity? Most studies on energy expenditure focus on the energy intake. Dr. Javier Gonzalez: “A few experiments with mice have shown that carbohydrates availability in the liver can spontaneously stimulate physical activity. Alongside some other indirect evidence in humans, that was the reason to start the project entitled The effects of dietary carbohydrates and dietary sugars on physical activity and energy balance among humans.” “Our hypothesis is that carbohydrates, especially in the form of sugars, increase the amount of glycogen in the liver. Through a nerve the brain receives a signal of a high storage of energy in the liver which stimulates physical activity”, Gonzalez explains. “When this nerve is cut the mice no longer become physical active when the storage of glycogen in the liver is high.” Carbohydrates can spontaneously stimulate physical activity, at least in mice. Two studies of the University of Bath among humans are in progress to investigate the question whether the amount of carbohydrates have an effect on physical activity, energy expenditure and metabolic health, as for instance blood cholesterol and glucose.

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