Fructose modifies the hormonal response and modulates lipid metabolism during aerobic exercise after glucose supplementation

The metabolic response when aerobic exercise is performed after the ingestion of glucose plus fructose is unclear. In the present study, we administered two beverages containing GluF (glucose + fructose) or Glu (glucose alone) in a randomized cross-over design to 20 healthy aerobically trained volunteers to compare the hormonal and lipid responses provoked during aerobic exercise and the recovery phase. After ingesting the beverages and a 15-min resting period, volunteers performed 30 min of moderate aerobic exercise. Urinary and blood samples were taken at baseline (t_-15), during the exercise (t₀, t₁₅ and t₃₀) and during the recovery phase (t₄₅, t₇₅ and t₁₀₅). Plasma insulin concentrations were higher halfway through the exercise period and during acute recuperation (t₁₅ and t₇₅; P < 0.05) following ingestion of GluF than after Glu alone, without any differences between the effects of either intervention on plasma glucose concentrations. Towards the end of the exercise period, urinary catecholamine concentrations were lower following GluF (t₄₅; P < 0.05). Plasma triacylglycerol (triglyceride) concentrations were higher after the ingestion of GluF compared with Glu (t₁₅, t₃₀, t₄₅ and t₁₀₅; P < 0.05). Furthermore, with GluF, we observed higher levels of lipoperoxides (t₁₅, t₃₀, t₄₅ and t₁₀₅; P < 0.05) and oxidized LDL (low-density lipoprotein; t₃₀, P < 0.05) compared with after the ingestion of Glu alone. In conclusion, hormonal and lipid alterations are provoked during aerobic exercise and recovery by the addition of a dose of fructose to the pre-exercise ingestion of glucose.