The Effect of Glucose and Sucrose on the Respiratory Quotient and Muscular Efficiency of Exercise
Two Figures
Margaret Wrightington
Department of Vital Economics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
1. The rest R.Q.s 68 hours after the last mealwith no control of the diet vary over a wide range, from 0.69to 1.00. When the rest R.Q.s are arranged numerically,the work and recovery, and excess R.Q. values increase if theircorresponding rest R.Q. is below 0.88 for pre-sugar experimentsor below 0.92 for post-sugar experiments, and decrease if theirrest R.Q. is above these figures. These data are interpretedby the hypothesis that when fat is in excess it is convertedto carbohydrate and stored, and when carbohydrate is preponderant,the reverse occurs.
2. Sucrose, probably because of the conversionof its fructosecomponent to fat, raises the rest R.Q. higherthan do the glucosecorn syrups.
3. Following the ingestionof glucose and of sucrose, the excessR.Q.s, when correctedfor the increase due to sugar alone,show that more glucosethan sucrose is metabolized during work.
4. No significantchanges in muscular efficiency occur afterthe ingestion ofeither of the sugars.