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Gastrointestinal function following endurance exercise under different environmental temperatures

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We determined the effects of different environmental temperatures on exercise-induced gastrointestinal (GI) damage and delayed gastric emptying (GE) rate.

Methods

Eleven trained males completed three trials on different days, consisting of (1) exercise in a thermoneutral environment (CON, 23 °C), (2) exercise in a hot environment (HOT, 35 °C), and (3) exercise in a cold environment (COLD, 10 °C). The subjects performed high-intensity interval-type endurance exercises in all trials. Blood intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) levels was determine before and after exercise. We evaluated Tmax (time when the 13C-excretion/h reached a maximum level) as an indication of the GE rate during post-exercise.

Results

Rectal temperature during exercise was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the HOT (38.7 ± 0.3 °C) trial compared with the CON (38.2 ± 0.3 °C) and COLD (38.2 ± 0.3 °C) trials, with no significant difference between the CON and COLD trials. Plasma I-FABP level after exercise (relative to the pre-exercise level) were significantly greater (P = 0.005) in the HOT trial (92.9 ± 69.6%) than in the CON (37.2 ± 31.6%) and COLD (37.6 ± 41.8%) trials. However, there was no significant difference between the CON and COLD trials. Moreover, the Tmax was delayed significantly (P = 0.006) in the HOT trial compared with the CON and COLD trials, with no significant difference between the CON and COLD trials.

Conclusion

GI function following endurance exercise was similar between thermoneutral and cold environments, while endurance exercise in a hot environment exacerbated GI function compared with thermoneutral and cold environments.

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Data availability

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions.

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

12CO2 :

12C-labeled carbon dioxide output

13CO2 :

13C-labeled carbon dioxide output

COLD:

Endurance exercise in a cold environment

CON:

Endurance exercise in a thermoneutral environment

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay

GE:

Gastric emptying

GI:

Gastrointestinal

HA:

Heat acclimation

Hb:

Hemoglobin

Hct:

Hematocrit

HOT:

Endurance exercise in a hot environment

HR:

Heart rate

HST:

Heat stress test

I-FABP:

Intestinal fatty acid binding protein

PV:

Plasma volume

RH:

Relative humidity

RPE:

Rate of perceived exertion

SD:

Standard deviations

Trec :

Rectal temperature

Tmax :

Time when the 13C-excretion/h reached a maximum

TS:

Thermal sensation

Tsk :

Skin temperature

\({\dot{\text{V}O}}_{{\text{2max}}}\) :

Maximal oxygen uptake

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Acknowledgements

We would like to appreciate all participants who completed experimental trials. We also thank the laboratory members for the grateful technical support. The present study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Funding

This study was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (20J01920).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sport Science, ASICS Corporation, Kobe, Japan

    Daichi Sumi

  2. Research Center for Urban Health and Sports, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan

    Daichi Sumi & Kazunobu Okazaki

  3. Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan

    Daichi Sumi

  4. Graduate School of Sports and Health Science, Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1, Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

    Kazushige Goto

Authors
  1. Daichi Sumi
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  2. Kazunobu Okazaki
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  3. Kazushige Goto
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Contributions

DS contributed to the study design, data collection, analysis, and manuscript writing. KO contributed to the study design, data interpretation and manuscript preparation. KG contributed to the study design, data collection, analysis, and manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kazushige Goto.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Communicated by Michael I Lindinger.

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Sumi, D., Okazaki, K. & Goto, K. Gastrointestinal function following endurance exercise under different environmental temperatures. Eur J Appl Physiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05387-x

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