Five months of fasting in king penguin chicks: body mass loss and fuel metabolism

1985 ◽  
Vol 249 (4) ◽  
pp. R387-R392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Cherel ◽  
Y. Le Maho
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
King Penguin ◽  
Body Mass Loss ◽  
Protein Utilization ◽  
Fuel Metabolism ◽  
Protein Sparing ◽  
Beta Hydroxybutyrate

When king penguin chicks are 3–4 mo old, they enter a season of interrupted growth due to long periods of fasting, because they are irregularly fed in winter. Nine captive chicks [mean initial body mass (m) = 12.5 kg] had fasted an average of 5 mo at the end of the experiment; m was then 4.0 kg, a 68% decrease. They probably could have fasted longer, since chicks of parents delayed in the return to the colony die from starvation at an m of 3.0 kg. The long fast could be divided into three periods based on the changes in rate of decrease of m. The remarkable resistance of king penguin chicks to starvation may be partly explained by their ability to maintain protein sparing for as much as 4 mo, the duration of period II; plasma concentrations of uric acid, urea, and alanine were then minimum, 0.1, 0.4, and 0.4 mmol X l–1 respectively. Particular changes during this period, i.e., progressive increase of beta-hydroxybutyrate and decrease of glucose concentrations, might contribute to the efficiency of protein sparing. Period III was marked by a rise in protein utilization, plasma concentrations of uric acid, urea, and alanine increasing to 0.7, 1.5, and 0.8 mmol X l–1, respectively.

Protein and lipid utilization during long-term fasting in emperor penguins

1988 ◽  
Vol 254 (1) ◽  
pp. R61-R68 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Robin ◽  
M. Frain ◽  
C. Sardet ◽  
R. Groscolas ◽  
Y. Le Maho
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
The Body ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Body Mass Loss ◽  
Emperor Penguins

The body mass of male emperor penguins is approximately 38 kg at the beginning of the 4-mo winter fast connected with breeding, and it is an estimated approximately 18 kg in leanest birds at time of spontaneous refeeding. For a 38- to 18-kg range, we investigated the changes in the rate of body mass loss, body composition, and plasma concentrations of uric acid and urea. After the first few days (phase I) a steady state (phase II) was reached in the proportions of the energy derived from proteins and lipids with proteins accounting for a constant 4%, and the remaining 96% being from lipids. The same proportions were maintained until body mass had decreased to 24 kg. Below this value the proportion of energy derived from proteins increased progressively (phase III), being 14 times higher at 18 kg than during phase II. Rate of body mass loss and plasma uric acid and urea concentrations closely reflected the changes in protein utilization: being at a low and steady value throughout phase II and increasing during phase III. Emperor penguins also fast during the spring, but for periods of only 2-3 wk. We found a 2.5 times higher value for rate of body mass loss, uric acid, and urea during spring phase II, suggesting lower effectiveness in protein sparing at that time. It may be attributed to the lower initial lipid reserves of spring birds. Would these findings be generalized to the wide variety of birds and mammals that spontaneously fast under natural conditions?(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Behavioral changes in fasting emperor penguins: evidence for a “refeeding signal” linked to a metabolic shift

1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (3) ◽  
pp. R746-R753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Patrice Robin ◽  
Laurent Boucontet ◽  
Pascal Chillet ◽  
René Groscolas
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Locomotor Activity ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Escape Behavior ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Body Mass Loss ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
Emperor Penguins

This study examines the relationships between metabolic status and behavior in spontaneously fasting birds in the context of long-term regulation of body mass and feeding. Locomotor activity, escape behavior, display songs, body mass, and metabolic and endocrine status of captive male emperor penguins were recorded during a breeding fast. We also examined whether body mass at the end of the fast affected further survival. The major part of the fast ( phase II) was characterized by the maintenance of a very low level of locomotor activity, with almost no attempt to escape, by an almost constant rate of body mass loss, and by steady plasma levels of uric acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, and corticosterone. This indicates behavioral and metabolic adjustments directed toward sparing energy and body protein. Below a body mass of ∼24 kg ( phase III), spontaneous locomotor activity and attempts to escape increased by up to 8- and 15-fold, respectively, and display songs were resumed. This probably reflected an increase in the drive to refeed. Simultaneously, daily body mass loss and plasma levels of uric acid and corticosterone increased, whereas plasma levels of β-hydroxybutyrate decreased. Some experimental birds were seen again in following years. These findings suggest that at a threshold of body mass, a metabolic and endocrine shift, possibly related to a limited availability of fat stores, acts as a “refeeding signal” that improves the survival of penguins to fasting.

Fasting in king penguin. I. Hormonal and metabolic changes during breeding

1988 ◽  
Vol 254 (2) ◽  
pp. R170-R177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Cherel ◽  
J. P. Robin ◽  
O. Walch ◽  
H. Karmann ◽  
P. Netchitailo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Plasma Glucagon ◽  
Protein Utilization ◽  
Plasma Uric Acid ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Beta Hydroxybutyrate

During long-term fasting in birds and mammals, protein utilization initially decreases (phase I), is thereafter maintained at a low value (phase II), and then further increases (phase III). To delineate hormonal and biochemical changes responsible for these modifications, the effect of food deprivation for 50 days was studied in 6 male king penguins captured at the beginning of their natural breeding fast. During phase II, both rate of mass loss and plasma uric acid concentration remained at low levels, whereas plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration increased. In phase III there was by contrast a 2.5-fold increase in the rate of mass loss, an eightfold increase in plasma uric acid, and an 80% drop in plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate. Plasma corticosterone was low and steady in phase II and increased three times in phase III. During the overall fast, there were no significant variations in plasma insulin, but there was a fourfold increase in plasma glucagon and a decrease in plasma thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These findings suggest that protein sparing (phase II) requires low levels of corticosterone, insulin, and thyroid hormones, whereas the further increase in protein utilization (phase III) is due to an increase in plasma corticosterone. The high plasma glucagon concentration in phase III is presumably responsible for a transient increase in plasma glucose observed at this stage; such increase in glucagon could enhance gluconeogenesis from amino acids.

Ecology and Physiology of Fasting in King Penguin Chicks

The Auk ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Cherel ◽  
Jean-Claude Stahl ◽  
Yvon Le Maho
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Blood Analysis ◽  
King Penguin ◽  
Protein Breakdown ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Initial Decrease ◽  
Free Ranging

Abstract Captive King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica) chicks can fast for 5 months during the subantarctic winter with a 70% decrease in body mass. To investigate the adaptive value of this remarkable resistance to starvation, we compared captive chicks with free-ranging chicks in their colony at Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago. The chicks in the colony, from mid-April to beginning of September (i.e. all winter) were fed only every 39 days by their parents; some were not fed at all. In spring (October-December) the surviving chicks were fed every 6 days, and their growth was completed. Overall chick mortality in the colony during the winter and subsequent spring was about 50%. Mortality was highest in October, 6 months after the beginning of the winter, and may be attributed mainly to starvation. The decrease in body mass in the free-ranging chicks was remarkably similar to that for captive birds. In both groups, three periods were characterized according to the observed changes in the daily decrease in body mass per unit body mass (dm/mdt): dm/mdt dropped during the first period (I) of 5-6 days, was minimum and steady during period II, which lasted about 4 months, and increased in period III. Blood analysis of the captive chicks indicated the three periods correspond to modifications in protein breakdown. An initial decrease in uricacidemia indicates period I is a short period of transition, marked by a decrease in protein breakdown. In period II a minimum and constant uricacidemia, in parallel with a progressive increase in ketonemia, indicates efficient protein sparing while most of the energy is derived from lipids. Period III is critical because, from a rise in uricacidemia concomitant with a decreasing ketonemia, proteins are no longer spared. The extreme resistance of King Penguin chicks to starvation in winter may be explained partly by the ability to spare proteins for several months (period II). It occurs at a growth stage when the parents' feeding visits are rare. Other laboratory and field investigations of birds suggest that the means by which a wide variety of domestic and wild species adapt to fasting also may be interpreted in terms of three periods corresponding to changes in protein breakdown.

scholarly journals Fuel use and metabolic response to endurance exercise: a wind tunnel study of a long-distance migrant shorebird

2002 ◽  
Vol 205 (16) ◽  
pp. 2453-2460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Jenni-Eiermann ◽  
Lukas Jenni ◽  
Anders Kvist ◽  
Åke Lindström ◽  
Theunis Piersma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Uric Acid ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Body Mass Loss

SUMMARYThis study examines fuel use and metabolism in a group of long-distance migrating birds, red knots Calidris canutus (Scolopacidae), flying under controlled conditions in a wind tunnel for up to 10 h. Data are compared with values for resting birds fasting for the same time. Plasma levels of free fatty acids, glycerol and uric acid were elevated during flight, irrespective of flight duration (1-10 h). Triglyceride levels, the estimated concentration of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) and β-hydroxybutyrate levels were lower during flight, while glucose levels did not change. In flying birds, plasma levels of uric acid and lipid catabolites were positively correlated with the residual variation in body mass loss, and lipid catabolites with energy expenditure (as measured using the doubly labelled water method), after removing the effect of initial body mass. The plasma metabolite levels indicate: (i) that the rates of catabolism of lipids from adipose tissue and of protein are higher during flight; (ii) that low ketone body concentrations probably facilitate fatty acid release from adipose tissue; (iii) that low triglyceride and VLDL levels do not indicate the use of an additional pathway of fatty acid delivery, as found in small birds; and(iv) that the relationships between energy expenditure, body mass loss and metabolic pattern suggest that a higher individual energy expenditure entails a higher rate of catabolism of both lipids and protein and not a shift in fuel substrate.

scholarly journals Caffeine improves biochemical and specific performance after judo training: a double-blind crossover study in a real judo training situation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelvin Euton Oliveira Carmo ◽  
Diego Ignácio Valenzuela Pérez ◽  
Charles Nardelli Valido ◽  
Jymmys Lopes dos Santos ◽  
Bianca Miarka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Uric Acid ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽  
Power Performance ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Biochemical Effect ◽  
Plasma Uric Acid ◽  
Hemodynamic Variables

Abstract Background Nutritional ergogenic aids are foods or nutrients that can improve physical performance. Among these foods with ergogenic properties, caffeine has shown that it can increase the fat catabolism, strength, and improve the cognition and time reaction of an athlete, therefore, it is hoped that it can improve the performance of judokas. This study through a double-blind crossover (supplement X placebo) protocol, investigated the effects caffeine supplementation (single capsule containing 5 mg/kg body mass intake 60 min before the session) on biochemical, anthropometrical, physical, subjective and hemodynamic variables measured before, during and after two typical judo trainingcxs sessions (120-min: 40-min of gymnastics; 40-min of specific technics and; 40-min of judo combat). Methods 8 high-level athletes (21.4 ± 2.0 years; 83.6 ± 15.2 kg; 1.8 ± 0.1 m; 17.9 ± 7.0 Fat%) were evaluated before and after each training for body mass, hydration, upper and lower limb power, performance in the special judo fitness test (SJFT), free fatty acids (FFA) in plasma, uric acid, glucose, lactate, heart rate, and pain. In addition, heart rate, FFA in plasma, uric acid, glucose, lactate, rating of perceived exertion and pain were assessed during the training. Results At 120 min, supplementation resulted in a higher concentration of plasma FFA (1.5 ± 0.5 vs. 1.0 ± 0.3 mmol/L; p = 0.047) and lactate (4.9 ± 1.8 vs. 3.0 ± 1.2 mmol/L; p = 0.047), and a lower concentration of uric acid (5.4 ± 0.9 vs. 7.0 ± 1.5 mg/dL; p = 0.04). Supplementation also resulted in performance maintenance (fatigue index) in the SJFT (Δ0.3 ± 2.0 vs Δ1.7 ± 2.5, for caffeine and placebo respectively, p = 0.046). No adverse effects were observed. Conclusion Based on the applied dose, intake time, and sample of this study, we can conclude that caffeine produces an ergogenic biochemical effect, and improves performance in judo athletes.

scholarly journals Serum Periostin as a Potential Biomarker in Pediatric Patients with Primary Hypertension

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2138
Author(s):  
Michał Szyszka ◽  
Piotr Skrzypczyk ◽  
Anna Stelmaszczyk-Emmel ◽  
Małgorzata Pańczyk-Tomaszewska
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Uric Acid ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Primary Hypertension ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Arterial Damage ◽  
Serum Periostin

Experimental studies suggest that periostin is involved in tissue repair and remodeling. The study aimed to evaluate serum periostin concentration as potential biomarker in pediatric patients with primary hypertension (PH). We measured serum periostin, blood pressure, arterial damage, biochemical, and clinical data in 50 children with PH and 20 age-matched healthy controls. In univariate analysis, children with PH had significantly lower serum periostin compared to healthy peers (35.42 ± 10.43 vs. 42.16 ± 12.82 [ng/mL], p = 0.038). In the entire group of 70 children serum periostin concentration correlated negatively with peripheral, central, and ambulatory blood pressure, as well as with aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV). In multivariate analysis, periostin level significantly correlated with age (β = −0.614, [95% confidence interval (CI), −0.831–−0.398]), uric acid (β = 0.328, [95%CI, 0.124–0.533]), body mass index (BMI) Z-score (β = −0.293, [95%CI, −0.492–−0.095]), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (β = 0.235, [95%CI, 0.054–0.416]), and triglycerides (β = −0.198, [95%CI, −0.394–−0.002]). Neither the presence of hypertension nor blood pressure and aPWV influenced periostin level. To conclude, the role of serum periostin as a biomarker of elevated blood pressure and arterial damage in pediatric patients with primary hypertension is yet to be unmasked. Age, body mass index, uric acid, and lipid concentrations are key factors influencing periostin level in pediatric patients.

23 Nutritional Intake and Weight Change in Severely Burned Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S20-S21
Author(s):  
Sandrine O Fossati ◽  
Beth A Shields ◽  
Renee E Cole ◽  
Adam J Kieffer ◽  
Saul J Vega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Total Body Surface Area ◽  
Nutritional Intake ◽  
Energy Deficit ◽  
Body Mass Loss ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Burn Care

Abstract Introduction Nutrition is crucial for recovery from burn injuries, as severe weight (wt.) loss can lead to impaired immunity and wound healing, infections, skin graft failure, and mortality. Previous studies recommended avoiding more than 10% wt. loss, as this level resulted in increased infection rates. However, wt. loss is often not quantifiable during the critical illness phase, with severe edema masking non-fluid related body wt. changes. Energy (kcal) deficits can be used to estimate wt. loss until the edema has resolved, but previous studies in non-burn patients indicate that actual wt. loss is less than the commonly used 3500 kcal per pound of fat (7700 kcal per kg of fat). The objective of this performance improvement project was to evaluate nutritional intake and the resulting dry wt. change in severely burned patients. Methods This performance improvement project was approved by our regulatory compliance division. We performed a retrospective evaluation on patients with at least 20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns admitted for initial burn care to our intensive care unit over a 7-year period. Patients who died or who had major fascial excisions or limb amputations were excluded. Patients who did not achieve a recorded dry wt. after wound healing were not included in this analysis. Retrospective data were collected, including sex, age, burn size, kcal intake, kcal goal per the Milner equation using activity factor of 1.4, admission dry wt., dry wt. after wound healing (defined as less than 10% TBSA open wound), and days to dry wt. after wound healing. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were performed using JMP. Significance was set at p< 0.05. Results The 30 included patients had the following characteristics: 90% male, 30 ± 11 years old, 45% ± 15% TBSA burn. They received 2720 ± 1092 kcal/day, meeting 68% ± 24% kcal goal, and took approximately 53 ± 30 days from injury to achieve dry wt. after wound healing. These patients had wt. loss of 8 ± 8 kg from the kcal deficit of 69,819 ± 51,704 during this time period. The kcal deficit was significantly associated with wt. change [p < 0.001, R2 = 0.49, wt. change in kg = (-0.000103 x kcal deficit) – 1]. This translates to one kg of body wt. loss resulting from 9709 kcal deficit. Conclusions This performance improvement project found that an energy deficit of approximately 9700 kcal in our patients equates to 1 kg of body mass loss (4400 kcal deficit equates to 1 pound of body mass loss). These findings are similar to wt. loss studies in other patient populations and contrary to the commonly used 3500 kcal per pound of fat (7700 kcal per kg of fat).

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