Insulin and glucagon in prevention of hypoglycemia during exercise in humans
- PMID: 2035626
- DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.1991.260.5.E695
Insulin and glucagon in prevention of hypoglycemia during exercise in humans
Abstract
To assess the roles of decrements in insulin and increments in glucagon in the prevention of hypoglycemia during moderate exercise (approximately 60% peak O2 consumption for 60 min), normal young men were studied during somatostatin infusions with insulin and glucagon infused to 1) hold insulin and glucagon levels constant, 2) decrease insulin, 3) increase glucagon, and 4) decrease insulin and increase glucagon during exercise. In contrast to a comparison study (saline infusion), when insulin and glucagon were held constant, glucose production did not increase and plasma glucose decreased from 5.5 +/- 0.2 to 3.4 +/- 0.2 mmol/l (P less than 0.001) initially during exercise. Notably, plasma glucose then plateaued and was 3.3 +/- 0.2 mmol/l at the end of exercise. This decrease was at most only delayed when either insulin was decreased or glucagon was increased independently. However, when insulin was decreased and glucagon was increased simultaneously, there was an initial increase in glucose production, and the glucose level was 4.5 +/- 0.2 mmol/l at 60 min, a value not different from that in the comparison study. Thus we conclude that both decrements in insulin and increments in glucagon play important roles in the prevention of hypoglycemia during exercise and do so by signaling increments in glucose production. However, since hypoglycemia did not develop during exercise when changes in insulin and glucagon were prevented, an additional counterregulatory factor, such as epinephrine, must be involved in the prevention of hypoglycemia during exercise, at least when the primary factors, insulin and glucagon, are inoperative.
Similar articles
-
Glucose counterregulation: prevention and correction of hypoglycemia in humans.Am J Physiol. 1993 Feb;264(2 Pt 1):E149-55. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1993.264.2.E149. Am J Physiol. 1993. PMID: 8447379 Review.
-
Some hormonal influences on glucose and ketone body metabolism in normal human subjects.Ciba Found Symp. 1982;87:168-91. doi: 10.1002/9780470720691.ch10. Ciba Found Symp. 1982. PMID: 6122546 Review.
-
Glucoregulation during exercise: hypoglycemia is prevented by redundant glucoregulatory systems, sympathochromaffin activation, and changes in islet hormone secretion.J Clin Invest. 1986 Jan;77(1):212-21. doi: 10.1172/JCI112279. J Clin Invest. 1986. Retraction in: J Clin Invest. 1989 Mar;83(3):1085.. PMID: 3511090 Free PMC article. Retracted.
-
Glucagon, not insulin, may play a secondary role in defense against hypoglycemia during exercise.Am J Physiol. 1988 Jun;254(6 Pt 1):E713-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1988.254.6.E713. Am J Physiol. 1988. PMID: 3287952
-
Catecholamines in prevention of hypoglycemia during exercise in humans.Am J Physiol. 1991 May;260(5 Pt 1):E705-12. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1991.260.5.E705. Am J Physiol. 1991. PMID: 1674642
Cited by
-
The role of exercise and hypoxia on glucose transport and regulation.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2023 Jun;123(6):1147-1165. doi: 10.1007/s00421-023-05135-1. Epub 2023 Jan 23. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2023. PMID: 36690907 Free PMC article. Review.
-
The endocrine pancreas during exercise in people with and without type 1 diabetes: Beyond the beta-cell.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 6;13:981723. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.981723. eCollection 2022. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022. PMID: 36147573 Free PMC article. Review.
-
The gut hormone Allatostatin C/Somatostatin regulates food intake and metabolic homeostasis under nutrient stress.Nat Commun. 2022 Feb 4;13(1):692. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28268-x. Nat Commun. 2022. PMID: 35121731 Free PMC article.
-
The Precious Few Grams of Glucose During Exercise.Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Aug 10;21(16):5733. doi: 10.3390/ijms21165733. Int J Mol Sci. 2020. PMID: 32785124 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Exogenous Ketones Lower Blood Glucose Level in Rested and Exercised Rodent Models.Nutrients. 2019 Oct 1;11(10):2330. doi: 10.3390/nu11102330. Nutrients. 2019. PMID: 31581549 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical