Effect of prolonged exercise on the passage of a solid meal through the stomach and small intestine

Abstract

The effect of intermittent moderate exercise on the passage of a solid meal, labelled with radioactive Technetium sulphur colloid, through the stomach and small intestine was investigated by paired studies on 7 healthy volunteers. Measurements of gastric radioactivity and breath hydrogen excretion were recorded every 10 minutes while subjects exercised in a controlled manner while seated on a bicycle ergometer. These were compared with values obtained during a separate experiment while the same subjects sat upright in a chair. Exercise significantly accelerated gastric emptying (control t 1/2 =1.5±0.1 h; exercise t 1/2 =1.2±0.1 h; p<0.02) but had no significant effect on small bowel transit time.