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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 May;117(5):931-941.
doi: 10.1007/s00421-017-3582-4. Epub 2017 Mar 13.

Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein and gut permeability responses to exercise

Daniel S March  1 , Tania Marchbank  2   3 , Raymond J Playford  3 , Arwel W Jones  4 , Rhys Thatcher  5 , Glen Davison  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein and gut permeability responses to exercise

Daniel S March et al. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017 May.

Abstract

Purpose: Intestinal cell damage due to physiological stressors (e.g. heat, oxidative, hypoperfusion/ischaemic) may contribute to increased intestinal permeability. The aim of this study was to assess changes in plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) in response to exercise (with bovine colostrum supplementation, Col, positive control) and compare this to intestinal barrier integrity/permeability (5 h urinary lactulose/rhamnose ratio, L/R).

Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 18 males completed two experimental arms (14 days of 20 g/day supplementation with Col or placebo, Plac). For each arm participants performed two baseline (resting) intestinal permeability assessments (L/R) pre-supplementation and one post-exercise following supplementation. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-exercise to determine I-FABP concentration.

Results: Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed an arm × time interaction for L/R and I-FABP (P < 0.001). Post hoc analyses showed urinary L/R increased post-exercise in Plac (273% of pre, P < 0.001) and Col (148% of pre, P < 0.001) with post-exercise values significantly lower with Col (P < 0.001). Plasma I-FABP increased post-exercise in Plac (191% of pre-exercise, P = 0.002) but not in the Col arm (107%, P = 0.862) with post-exercise values significantly lower with Col (P = 0.013). Correlations between the increase in I-FABP and L/R were evident for visit one (P = 0.044) but not visit two (P = 0.200) although overall plots/patterns do appear similar for each.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that exercise-induced intestinal cellular damage/injury is partly implicated in changes in permeability but other factors must also contribute.

Keywords: Bovine colostrum; Cell damage; Cellular injury; Core temperature; Intestinal permeability; Strenuous exercise; Urinary L/R.

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Conflict of interest statement

No funding was received for this work but DSM, AWJ and GD have received funding in the past for other work: DSM’s MPhil was supported by a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship, awarded in 2010 and completed in 2011, which was a collaborative project with an external partner, The Repair and Protection Foods Ltd (supplier for Neovite Colostrum UK). This project was part-funded by the European Social Fund through the European Union’s Convergence Programme (West Wales and the Valleys) and administered by the Welsh Government. AWJ’s PhD was supported by a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship, awarded in 2010 and completed in 2013, which was a collaborative project with an external partner, The Golden Dairy Ltd (supplier for Neovite Colostrum UK). This project was part-funded by the European Social Fund through the European Union’s Convergence Programme (West Wales and the Valleys) and administered by the Welsh Government. GD has previously received funding from Neovite Colostrum UK (2008, 2010, 2013) but no funding was received for the present study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic of study design. Each participant took part in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, crossover study. Participants received oral supplementation with 20 g·day−1 of either Plac or Col (in a randomised crossover design) for 14 days with a 14 days washout period between study arms. After the 14 days washout these procedures were repeated with participants supplementing with the opposite test substance (Plac or Col)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Urinary Lactulose/Rhamnose ratios for Plac and Col arms (mean and SD). *Significantly different from Baseline 1 and Baseline 2 (P < 0.001). +Significantly different from Plac at same time point (P < 0.001)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Absolute plasma I-FABP concentration (median and interquartile range). *Significant increase compared to Pre-Ex (P = 0.002). +Significantly different from Plac at same time point (P = 0.013)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Association between pre-to-post-exercise change in Urinary L/R and Plasma I-FABP values. Visit 1 (P = 0.034, R s = 0.441) and visit 2 (P = 0.200, R s = 0.212)
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