Modest changes to glycemic regulation are sufficient to maintain glucose fluxes in healthy young men following overfeeding with a habitual macronutrient composition

Abstract

Currently, it is unclear whether short-term overfeeding in healthy people significantly affects postprandial glucose regulation, as most human overfeeding studies have utilized induced experimental conditions such as the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique to assess glucoregulation. The aim of this study was to quantify glucose fluxes [rates of meal glucose appearance (R_a), disposal (R_d), and endogenous glucose production (EGP)] in response to 5 and 28 days of overfeeding (+45% energy) while maintaining habitual macronutrient composition (31.0 ± 1.9% fat, 48.6 ± 2.2% carbohydrate, 16.7 ± 1.4% protein) in healthy, lean young men. Meal tolerance testing was combined with the triple-stable isotope glucose tracer approach. Visceral adipose volume increased by ~15% with 5 days of overfeeding, while there was no further change at 28 days. In contrast, body mass (+1.6 kg) and fat mass (+1.3 kg) were significantly increased only after 28 days of overfeeding. Fasting EGP, R_d, and insulin were increased at 5 but unchanged after 28 days. Postprandial glucose and insulin responses were unaltered by 5 days of overfeeding but were modestly increased after 28 days (<i>P</i> < 0.05). However, meal R_a and glucose R_d were significantly increased after both 5 and 28 days of overfeeding (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Despite this, overfeeding did not lead to alterations to postprandial EGP suppression. Thus, in contrast to findings from euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies, chronic overfeeding did not affect the ability to suppress EGP or stimulate R_d under postprandial conditions. Rather, glucose flux was appropriately maintained following 28 days of overfeeding through modest increases in postprandial glycemia and insulinemia.