Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1975 Feb;245(1):209–225. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp010841

The volume and energy content of meals as determinants of gastric emptying.

J N Hunt, D F Stubbs
PMCID: PMC1330851  PMID: 1127608

Abstract

1. Results were collected from thirty-three published and unpublished studies of gastric emptying. The volumes of the meals ranged from 50 to 1250 ml., and composition varied from pure carbohydrates to ordinary food. 2. From the published composition of the meals, their nutritive density, as kcal/ml. (4-18 KJ/ml.) was computed: it ranged from zero to 2-3 kcal/ml. 3. The volume of each meal, or test meal, delivered to the duodenum in 30 min was determined, assuming that gastric emptying was exponential. 4. The greater the nutritive density of a meal, the less was the volume transferred to the duodenum in 30 min. The original volume of meal given was not a determinant of the rate of emptying (ml./min). 5. The slowing of gastric emptying with a meal of high nutritive density was not sufficient to prevent an increased rate of delivery of energy to the duodenum (nutritive density times volume delivered in unit time) with a meal of high nutritive density. 6. Assuming an appropriate relationship for the interaction of a stimulus (kcal/ml.) and duodenal receptors, it was possible to predict a rate of gastric emptying for each meal, given its nutritive density. Knowing the initial volume of the meal, it was possible to predict the mean half time for its emptying. 7. There were eight sets of anomalous results: in four the volumes of meal given were less than 200 ml.; explanations of the anomalies in the other four results could not be provided. 8. The results are consistent with equal slowing of gastric emptying by the duodenal action of the products of digestion of isocaloric amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrate, for example, 4 g fat or 9 g carbohydrate, both 36 kcal, taking carbohydrate and protein as 4 kcal/g and fat as 9 kcal/g.

Full text

PDF
209

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barker G. R., Cochrane G. M., Corbett G. A., Hunt J. N., Roberts S. K. Actions of glucose and potassium chloride on osmoreceptors slowing gastric emptying. J Physiol. 1974 Feb;237(1):183–186. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010476. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CONNELL A. M. The motility of the pelvic colon. II. Paradoxical motility in diarrhoea and constipation. Gut. 1962 Dec;3:342–348. doi: 10.1136/gut.3.4.342. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Davies W. T., Kirkpatrick J. R., Owen G. M., Shields R. Gastric emptying in atrophic gastritis and carcinoma of the stomach. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1971;6(4):297–301. doi: 10.3109/00365527109181123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Elias E., Gibson G. J., Greenwood L. F., Hunt J. N., Tripp J. H. The slowing of gastric emptying by monosaccharides and disaccharides in test meals. J Physiol. 1968 Feb;194(2):317–326. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1968.sp008410. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. George J. D. New clinical method for measuring the rate of gastric emptying: the double sampling test meal. Gut. 1968 Apr;9(2):237–242. doi: 10.1136/gut.9.2.237. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gregory R. A. Some factors influencing the passage of fluid through intestinal loops in dogs. J Physiol. 1950 Apr 15;111(1-2):119–137. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1950.sp004468. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Griffith G. H., Owen G. M., Campbell H., Shields R. Gastric emptying in health and in gastroduodenal disease. Gastroenterology. 1968 Jan;54(1):1–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HUNT J. N. Inhibition of gastric emptying and secretion in patients with duodenal ulcer. Lancet. 1957 Jan 19;272(6960):132–134. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(57)90203-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HUNT J. N., KNOX M. T., OGINSKI A. THE EFFECT OF GRAVITY ON GASTRIC EMPTYING WITH VARIOUS TEST MEALS. J Physiol. 1965 May;178:92–97. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007616. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HUNT J. N., MACDONALD I. The influence of volume on gastric emptying. J Physiol. 1954 Dec 10;126(3):459–474. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1954.sp005222. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HUNT J. N., MacDONALD I., SPURRELL W. R. The gastric response to pectin meals of high osmotic pressure. J Physiol. 1951 Oct 29;115(2):185–195. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1951.sp004663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HUNT J. N., SPURRELL W. R. The pattern of emptying of the human stomach. J Physiol. 1951 Apr;113(2-3):157–168. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1951.sp004562. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HUNT J. N. Some properties of an alimentary osmoreceptor mechanism. J Physiol. 1956 May 28;132(2):267–288. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1956.sp005524. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HUNT J. N. The site of receptors slowing gastric emptying in response to starch in test meals. J Physiol. 1960 Dec;154:270–276. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1960.sp006578. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Harvey R. F., Mackie D. B., Brown N. J., Keeling D. H., Davies W. T. Measurement of gastric emptying time with a gamma camera. Lancet. 1970 Jan 3;1(7636):16–18. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)90525-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hopkins A. The pattern of gastric emptying: a new view of old results. J Physiol. 1966 Jan;182(1):144–149. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007814. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mallinson C. N. Effect of pancreatic insufficiency and intestinal lactase deficiency on the gastric emptying of starch and lactose. Gut. 1968 Dec;9(6):737–737. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Moberg S., Carlberger G. The effect on gastric emptying of test meals with various fat and osmolar concentrations. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1974;9(1):29–32. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ramsbottom N., Hunt J. N. Effect of exercise on gastric emptying and gastric secretion. Digestion. 1974;10(1):1–8. doi: 10.1159/000197517. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ramsbottom N., Hunt J. N. Studies of the effect of metoclopramide and apomorphine on gastric emptying and secretion in man. Gut. 1970 Dec;11(12):989–993. doi: 10.1136/gut.11.12.989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tinker J., Kocak N., Jones T., Glass H. I., Cox A. G. Supersensitivity and gastric emptying after vagotomy. Gut. 1970 Jun;11(6):502–505. doi: 10.1136/gut.11.6.502. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Weisbrodt N. W., Wiley J. N., Overholt B. F., Bass P. A relation between gastroduodenal muscle contractions and gastric empyting. Gut. 1969 Jul;10(7):543–548. doi: 10.1136/gut.10.7.543. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES