Key result
Watermelon juice supplementation preserved high-frequency power (p=0.03) and pNN50 (p=0.009) during an oral glucose challenge compared to placebo in healthy young adults.
Why the study?
Reduced heart rate variability and reduced nitric oxide bioavailability are linked to cardiometabolic disease, and watermelon consumption can improve nitric oxide bioavailability.
Does daily watermelon juice supplementation improve heart rate variability in response to an oral glucose challenge in healthy young adults?
RCT
Double-blind
Randomized crossover
Does daily watermelon juice supplementation improve heart rate variability in response to an oral glucose challenge in healthy young adults?
p-value: p=0.03 for HF, 0.009 for pNN50
Daily watermelon juice supplementation for 2 weeks attenuates oral glucose challenge-induced reductions in heart rate variability in healthy young adults.
Watermelon juice attenuates hyperglycemia-induced HRV reductions; extends NO bioavailability data to autonomic responses in healthy adults.
Heart rate variability (HRV) provides a simple method to evaluate autonomic function in health and disease. A reduction in HRV may indicate autonomic dysfunction and is strongly associated with aspects of cardiometabolic disease, including hyperglycemia. Reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability is also implicated in the development of cardiometabolic disease and autonomic dysfunction. Watermelons are natural sources of L-arginine and L-citrulline, substrates used for NO synthesis. Watermelon consumption can improve NO bioavailability. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial to test the effects of 2 weeks of daily watermelon juice (WMJ) supplementation on HRV in response to an oral glucose challenge (OGC) in healthy young adults. We also performed indirect calorimetry to assess if our intervention altered the metabolic response to the OGC. WMJ supplementation preserved high-frequency power (HF) (treatment effect, p = 0.03) and the percentage of successive differences that differ by more than 50 ms (pNN50) (treatment effect, p = 0.009) when compared to the placebo treatment. There was no difference in resting energy expenditure or substate oxidation according to treatment. We report that WMJ supplementation attenuates OGC-induced reductions in HRV. Future work should emphasize the importance of NO bioavailability in autonomic dysfunction in cardiometabolic disease.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Matthews et al. (2023) conducted an RCT in Healthy. Watermelon juice vs. Placebo was evaluated on Heart rate variability (high-frequency power and pNN50) in response to an oral glucose challenge (p=0.03 for HF, 0.009 for pNN50). Watermelon juice supplementation preserved high-frequency power (p=0.03) and pNN50 (p=0.009) during an oral glucose challenge compared to placebo in healthy young adults.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: