Are there interindividual differences in the reactive hypoglycaemia response to breakfast? A replicate crossover trial.

backgroundFollowing consumption of a meal, circulating glucose concentrations can rise and then fall briefly below the basal/fasting concentrations. This phenomenon is known as reactive hypoglycaemia but to date no researcher has explored potential inter-individual differences in response to meal consumption.

objectiveWe conducted a secondary analysis of existing data to examine inter-individual variability of reactive hypoglycaemia in response to breakfast consumption.

methodsUsing a replicate crossover design, 12 healthy, physically active men (age: 18-30 y, body mass index: 22.1 to 28.0 kg⋅m

resultsBreakfast consumption lowered 2-h blood glucose by 0.44 mmol/L (95%CI: 0.76 to 0.12 mmol/L) and serum NEFA concentrations, whilst increasing blood lactate and serum insulin concentrations (all p < 0.01). Large, positive correlations were observed between the first and second replicates of the fasting-adjusted insulin, lactate, hunger, and satisfaction responses to breakfast consumption (all r > 0.5, 90%CI ranged from 0.03 to 0.91). The participant-by-condition interaction response variability (SD) for serum insulin concentration was 11 pmol/L (95%CI: 5 to 16 pmol/L), which was consistent with the τ-statistic from the random-effects meta-analysis (11.7 pmol/L, 95%CI 7.0 to 22.2 pmol/L) whereas effects were unclear for other outcome variables (e.g., τ-statistic value for glucose: 0 mmol/L, 95%CI 0.0 to 0.5 mmol/L).

conclusionsDespite observing reactive hypoglycaemia at the group level, we were unable to detect any meaningful inter-individual variability of the reactive hypoglycaemia response to breakfast. There was, however, evidence that 2-h insulin responses to breakfast display meaningful inter-individual variability, which may be explained by relative carbohydrate dose ingested and variation in insulin sensitivity of participants.