Effects of a low carbohydrate isoenergetic diet on sleep behavior and pulmonary functions in healthy female adult humans

J Nutr. 1986 Dec;116(12):2393-402. doi: 10.1093/jn/116.12.2393.

Abstract

To study the effects of a low carbohydrate, isoenergetic diet on pulmonary physiology and sleep behavior, we measured pulmonary functions and respiratory gas exchange and carried out ambulatory electroencephalographic studies after a week's intake of isoenergetic diet containing only 50 g carbohydrate per day in 6 healthy female adult humans in a free-living condition. Compared with their normal intake, during the week of low carbohydrate intake there was a rise in the level of fasting plasma 3-hydroxybutyrate from 0.12 +/- 0.07 (mean +/- SD) to 1.01 +/- 0.40 mmol/L(P less than 0.01, paired t-test); a fall in serum bicarbonate from 26.2 +/- 0.75 to 25.0 +/- 1.41 mmol/L (P less than 0.05) and in serum chloride from 107 +/- 1.3 to 105 +/- 1.8 mmol/L (P less than 0.05). Serum urea rose from 4.3 +/- 0.71 to 5.7 +/- 0.70 mmol/L (P less than 0.01), and serum uric acid from 0.34 +/- 0.08 to 0.39 +/- 0.10 mmol/L (P less than 0.05). Functional residual capacity was increased from 2.07 +/- 0.35 to 2.26 +/- 0.34 L (P less than 0.01). Respiratory gas exchange ratio fell from 0.81 +/- 0.05 to 0.75 +/- 0.04 (P less than 0.05) and partial pressure of expired carbon dioxide reduced from 22 +/- 3.3 to 21 +/- 3.1 mmHg (P less than 0.05). There was a reduction in endogenous carbon dioxide production and arterial carbon dioxide tension. An analysis of ambulatory electroencephalogram showed that REM latency increased from 66 +/- 8 to 111 +/- 38 min (P less than 0.05), with no significant changes in sleep time and stages. These studies show that a low carbohydrate isoenergetic diet is tolerable, influences sleep behavior, reduces carbon dioxide production and respiratory gas exchange ratio, and may be therapeutically useful in patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Basal Metabolism
  • Carbon Dioxide / biosynthesis
  • Dietary Carbohydrates / administration & dosage*
  • Electrocardiography
  • Energy Intake*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung / physiology*
  • Pulmonary Gas Exchange
  • Sleep / physiology*
  • Sleep, REM / drug effects

Substances

  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Carbon Dioxide