Gastric emptying and fluid availability after ingestion of glucose and soy protein hydrolysate solutions in man.

The double sampling gastric aspiration method was used to measure the effect of energy content on the rate of gastric emptying of glucose and soy protein hydrolysate solutions. The net rate of absorption of water from these solutions was assessed using deuterium oxide as a tracer for water. Six healthy male subjects were each studied on four separate occasions using a test drink volume of 600 ml. The half emptying times (t 1/2, median (range)) of the iso-energetic soy protein hydrolysate (6P, 60 g l(-1), 36 (14-39) min) and glucose (7G, 70 g l(-1), 25 (19-29) min) solutions were similar. These two solutions (6P, 7G) delivered energy to the small intestine at similar rates, and resulted in similar rates of accumulation of the deuterium tracer in the circulation. The dilute glucose solution (LG, 23 g l(-1)) was emptied faster (t 1/2 13 (11-19) min) and resulted in a faster rate of tracer accumulation in the circulation than any of the other solutions, including the iso-osmotic soy protein solution (LG 311 +/- 5 mosmol kg(-1), 6P 321 +/- 24 mosmol kg(-1)). The concentrated soy protein hydrolysate solution (12P, 120 g l(-1)) emptied more slowly (t 1/2 80 (44-120) min) than the more dilute solutions. The rate of energy delivery to the small intestine from 12P was similar to that from 6P for the first 50 min after ingestion, and similar to that from 7G at all sample points. These results indicate that the iso-energetic solutions of glucose and soy protein hydrolysate used in this study are emptied from the stomach at similar rates and result in similar rates of fluid availability after ingestion.