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Review
. 2025 Apr;54(4):723-738.
doi: 10.18502/ijph.v54i4.18411.

Comparing the Effects of Glucose-Fructose versus Glucose on the Oxidation Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zahra Gohari Dezfuli  1   2 , Minoo Hasan Rashedi  1   3 , Fatemeh Naeini  2 , Sakineh Shab-Bidar  4 , Mohammadhossein Pourgharib-Shahi  1 , Xueying Zhang  5 , Elaheh Dehghani  1   2 , Kurosh Djafarian  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Comparing the Effects of Glucose-Fructose versus Glucose on the Oxidation Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zahra Gohari Dezfuli et al. Iran J Public Health. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have aimed to compare the effects of glucose (Glu) consumption with those of glucose-fructose (Glu-Fru) consumption on oxidation rates during exercise. However, divergent outcomes have surfaced due to variations in exercise protocols and concurrent substance ingestion, leading to a lack of consensus. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the comparative effects of Glu and Glu-Fru on total carbohydrate oxidation, endogenous carbohydrate oxidation, exogenous carbohydrate oxidation, and total fat oxidation rates during exercise.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to February 2023. The search yielded 14 randomized controlled trials involving 125 endurance athletes.

Results: The meta-analyses revealed that Glu supplementation significantly increased total carbohydrate oxidation (WMD: 0.21 g/min) compared to Glu-Fru. Endogenous carbohydrate oxidation significantly increased with Glu (WMD: -0.12), while Glu-Fru led to increased exogenous carbohydrate oxidation (WMD: 0.27 g/min). Total fat oxidation decreased with Glu-Fru (WMD: -0.06 g/min).

Conclusion: By investigating athletic nutrition complexities, our findings shed light on metabolic responses to Glu-Fru versus Glu supplementation. Tailoring hydration strategies, athletes should select an optimal Glu-Fru to Glu ratio for maximal oxidation and enhanced performance. Future research could explore dose-response relationships for optimal metabolic benefits during exercise.

Keywords: Carbohydrate; Endurance exercise; Oxidation rate; Performance.

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Figures

Fig. 1:
Fig. 1:
Flowchart of study selection in the systematic review
Fig. 2:
Fig. 2:
Effect of Glu-Fru vs. Glu on total carbohydrate oxidation during exercise. The forest plot shows standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 14 studies that included a measurement of the total carbohydrate oxidation rate
Fig. 3:
Fig. 3:
Funnel plot for the comparison of Glu and Glu-Fru on oxidation rate during exercise
Fig. 4:
Fig. 4:
Effect of Glu-Fru vs. Glu on endogenous carbohydrate oxidation during exercise. The forest plot shows standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 9 studies that included a measurement of the endogenous carbohydrate oxidation rate
Fig. 5:
Fig. 5:
Effect of Glu-Fru vs. Glu on exogenous carbohydrate oxidation during exercise. The forest plot shows standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 8 studies that included a measurement of the exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rate
Fig. 6:
Fig. 6:
Effect of Glu-Fru vs. Glu on total fat oxidation during exercise. The forest plot shows standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for 11 studies that included a measurement of the total fat oxidation rate
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