Dietary habit and exercise during adulthood

Abstract

　Dietary habit and exercise are clearly essential factors to promote good health during adulthood as well as other life stages. Regarding metabolic syndrome, obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia and hypertension are frequently improved by energy-restricted diet and/or aerobic exercise. For preventing or improving sarcopenia, sufficient energy and adequate nutrients such as protein, vitamin D, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids etc. are required. And, mechanically loaded and/or resistance exercise is typically used to increase muscle mass and bone mineral density.

　Changes in glucose and lipid metabolism during weight-loss programs, and the effects of dietary restriction and/or exercise have been reported. Body weight reduction by exercise is more effective than by dietary restriction even when dietary condition is equal except for energy supplied from carbohydrate and fat. Exercise during body weight increase has also beneficial effects for lipid metabolism.

　Although it is well known that hyperinsulinemia is improved by exercise, insulin secretion volume has not been examined in detail. We investigated the effects of walking exercise on urinary C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) excretion levels. Walking at 6 km/h for more than 2 hours decreased urinary CPR excretion levels without increasing physical stress.

　Protein intake, particularly branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), and exercise have opposing actions on insulin secretion, but the same action on protein anabolism. We examined the effects of BCAA-rich fat-free milk intake and/or exercise on levels of insulin secretion and indices related to muscle protein metabolism in order to assess the potency of dietary and exercise therapies against metabolic and locomotive disorders. BCAA-rich fat-free milk intake enhanced insulin secretion and suppressed muscle protein degradation, but these effects are attenuated by exercise accompanied with increase in catecholamine secretion.