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Title: Twelve weeks of moderate aerobic exercise without dietary intervention or weight loss does not affect 24-h energy expenditure in lean and obese adolescents.

Author
item VAN DER HEIJDEN, GERT JAN - University Of Groningen
item SAUER, PIETER J - University Of Groningen
item SUNEHAG, AGNETA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2009
Publication Date: 1/27/2010
Citation: Van Der Heijden, G., Sauer, P.J., Sunehag, A.L. 2010. Twelve weeks of moderate aerobic exercise without dietary intervention or weight loss does not affect 24-h energy expenditure in lean and obese adolescents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 91(3):589-596.

Interpretive Summary: Strategies to prevent or delay obesity-related morbility in children and adolescents are needed, especially in minorities. Energy expenditure and the utilization of sugar, fat, and protein was measured during a 24 hour stay in a room calorimeter in 28 lean and obese teenagers participating in a 12 week aerobic exercise program. The results demonstrated that, the 12 week exercise program did not affect energy expenditure or the utilization of sugar, fat, and protein in the obese participants. A small increase in fat utilization was observed in the lean adolescents. Additional research is necessary to understand how a significant increase in energy expenditure and the utilization of sugar, fat, and protein can be maintained in participants.

Technical Abstract: Exercise might have a persistent effect on energy expenditure and fat oxidation, resulting in increased fat loss. However, even without weight loss, exercise results in positive metabolic effects. The effect of an aerobic exercise program on 24-h total energy expenditure (TEE), and its components-basal (BEE), sleep (SEE), and awake sedentary (SEDEE) energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation-has not been studied in lean and obese adolescents. The objective was to test the hypothesis that 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation increase in lean and obese adolescents after 12 wk of moderate aerobic exercise without dietary intervention and weight loss. Twenty-eight postpubertal Hispanic adolescents (13 lean [mean +/- SE: age, 15.3 +/- 0.3 y; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)), 20.2 +/- 0.7; body fat, 18.7 +/- 1.6%], and 15 obese [age, 15.6 +/- 0.3 y; BMI, 33.1 +/- 0.9; body fat, 38.1 +/- 1.4%]) completed a 12-wk aerobic exercise program (4 x 30 min/wk at > or =70% of VO(2 peak)) without weight loss. Energy expenditure and substrate oxidation were quantified by 24-h room calorimetry at baseline and postexercise. This aerobic exercise program did not affect 24-h TEE, BEE, SEE, or SEDEE in lean or obese participants. In obese adolescents, respiratory quotient (RQ) and substrate oxidation also did not change. In lean adolescents, 24-h RQ and RQ during SEE decreased (both P < 0.01) and fat oxidation increased (P < 0.01). A 12-wk aerobic exercise program did not increase TEE, BEE, SEE, or SEDEE in either lean or obese sedentary adolescents. Furthermore, 24-h fat oxidation did not change in the obese adolescents, whereas it increased in the lean adolescents.