Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #307272

Title: Energy requirements in nonobese men and women: results from CALERIE

Author
item REDMAN, LEANNE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item KRAUS, WILLIAM - Duke University Medical Center
item BHAPKAR, MANJU - Duke University Medical Center
item DAS, SAI KRUPA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item RACETTE, SUSAN - Washington University
item MARTIN, CORBY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item FONTANA, LUIGI - Washington University
item WONG, WILLIAM - Baylor College Of Medicine
item ROBERTS, SUSAN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item RAVUSSIN, ERIC - Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2013
Publication Date: 1/1/2014
Citation: Redman, L.M., Kraus, W.E., Bhapkar, M., Das, S., Racette, S.B., Martin, C.K., Fontana, L., Wong, W.W., Roberts, S.B., Ravussin, E. 2014. Energy requirements in nonobese men and women: results from CALERIE. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 99(1):71-78.

Interpretive Summary: The energy intake necessary to maintain weight and body composition is called the energy requirement for weight maintenance and can be determined by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method. An integral goal of the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) 2 study was to accurately determine the energy requirement of study subjects at baseline. Given the importance of an accurate measurement of the energy requirements in each subject enrolled in CALEIRE 2, the objective of this study was to determine the energy requirements of nonobese men and women in the CALERIE2 study. We assessed the energy requirement of 217 healthy, weight stable men and women over 28 days with two consecutive 14 day DLW assessments in addition to several other measures of body weight, fat mass, and fat free mass. This study allowed us to generate regression equations to estimate energy requirements in a relatively large nonobese sample of three US suburban/urban populations. We found that total daily energy expenditure was consistent between the 2 DLW studies, and that was 20% higher in men than in women. Individual’s significantly underreported energy intake, and underreporting by overweight individuals was greater than that of normal weight individuals. Our results also suggested that individual’s significantly underreported physical activity. These new equations represent the best estimate of energy intake of individuals living in suburban US cities.

Technical Abstract: The energy intake necessary to maintain weight and body composition is called the energy requirement for weight maintenance and can be determined by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method. The objective was to determine the energy requirements of nonobese men and women in the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy 2 study. Energy requirements were determined for 217 healthy, weight-stable men and women [aged >21 to <50 y; 70% female, 77% white; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) 22 to <28; 52% overweight] over 28 d with 2 consecutive 14-d DLW assessments in addition to serial measures of body weight and fat-free mass and fat mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Energy intake and physical activity were also estimated by self-report over greater than or equal to 6 consecutive d in each DLW period. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) was consistent between the 2 DLW studies (TDEE1: 2422 +/- 404 kcal/d; TDEE2: 2465 +/- 408 kcal/d; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.90) with a mean TDEE of 2443 +/- 397 kcal/d that was, on average, 20% (580 kcal/d) higher in men than in women (P < 0.0001). The regression equation relating mean TDEE to demographics and weight was as follows: TDEE (kcal/d) = 1279 + 18.3 (weight, kg) + 2.3 (age, y) - 338 (sex: 1 = female, 0 = male); R(2) = 0.57. When body composition was included, TDEE (kcal/d) = 454 + 38.7 (fat-free mass, kg) - 5.4 (fat mass, kg) + 4.7 (age in y) + 103 (sex: 1 = female, 0 = male); R(2) = 0.65. Individuals significantly underreported energy intake (350 kcal/d; 15%), and underreporting by overweight individuals (~400 kcal/d; 16%) was greater (P < 0.001) than that of normal-weight individuals (~270 kcal/d; 12%). Estimates of TDEE from a 7-d physical activity recall and measured resting metabolic rate also suggested that individuals significantly underreported physical activity (~400 kcal/d; 17%; P < 0.0001). These new equations derived over 1 mo during weight stability can be used to estimate the free-living caloric requirements of nonobese adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00427193.