Meal energy content is related to features of meal-related ghrelin profiles across a typical day of eating in non-obese premenopausal women.
Some features of the meal-related profile of ghrelin correspond to acute energy intake, suggesting a role in short-term energy homeostasis. Yet, no studies have examined this relationship across a typical day of eating when effects of time of day and or cumulative energy intake may also exist.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relation between ghrelin and acute energy intake by quantifying changes in ghrelin over 24 hours in response to three typical meals and a snack occurring throughout the day.


METHODS
Fourteen non-obese women consumed three meals and a snack at specific times; total ghrelin was measured repeatedly over 24 hours.


RESULTS
Significant correlations existed between: 1) meal calories and the post-meal trough (r = - 0.36; p < 0.05), and 2) the sum of breakfast and lunch calories and subsequent dinner rise (r = - 0.45; p < 0.02) and 3) the sum of breakfast and lunch calories and dinner peak (r = - 0.54; p < 0.003). Thus, as energy intake increased across the day, pre-meal rises of subsequent meals were reduced.


CONCLUSIONS
Meal-related profiles of ghrelin are not only associated with the energy content of specific meals, but also with the accumulated calories prior to a subsequent meal, suggesting a role in the modulation of acute energy homeostasis.
Leidy
H J
HJ
Noll Laboratory and the Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Williams
N I
NI
D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D054439:Ghrelin; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D017697:Premenopause
D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones