Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T07:43:08.613Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Enegy expenditure, physical activity and basal metabolic rate of elderly subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Daphne L.E. Pannemans  and
Klaas R. Westerterp
Daphne L.E. Pannemans
Affiliation:
Department of Human Biology, University of Limburg, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Masstrichi, The Netherlands
Klaas R. Westerterp
Affiliation:
Department of Human Biology, University of Limburg, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Masstrichi, The Netherlands
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Energy expenditure, and therefore energy requirement, generally decreases with advancing age because of a decrease in basal metabolic rate (BMR) and physical activity. The aim of the present study was to measure total energy expenditure (EE) and activity level in a group of healthy elderly (sixteen men aged 71·3 (SD 4·9) years; ten women aged 67·6 (SD 4·1) years) and young adults (nineteen men aged 30·4 (SD 5·0) years; ten women aged 27·2 (SD 3·9) years) by using the doubly-labelled water method in combination with measurements of BMR. Age-related differences in body composition and their relationship to BMR and activity level were studied. EE was lower in elderly compared with young adults, partly due to a significantly lower BMR. The lower BMR was not fully explained by the lower fat-free mass (FFM) in the elderly. Energy expended (MJ/d) on activity was higher for the younger subjects although there was no significant difference in the physical activity index (PAI = EE/BMR) between the two age groups. The effect of physical activity level is twofold: first it has a positive effect on the BMR, and second it has a positive effect on the FFM. Both effects involve an increase in the total EE with an increased level of physical activity. At energy balance this will lead to increased energy and nutrient intake, making especially the elderly less vulnerable to inadequate energy and nutrient intake.

Keywords

Energy expenditurePhysical activityBasal metabolic rateElderly
Type
Energy expenditure of the elderly
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 73 , Issue 4 , April 1995 , pp. 571 - 581
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1995

References

Calloway, D. H. & Zanni, E. (1980) Energy requirements and energy expenditure of elderly men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 2088–2092.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dallosso, H. M., Morgan, K., Bassey, E. J., Ebrahim, S. B. J. & Fentem, P. H. (1988) Levels of customary physical activity among the old and the very old living at home. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 42, 121–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University (1985) Energy and Protein Requirements. Technical Report Series no. 724. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Forbes, G. B. & Reina, J. C. (1970) Adult lean body mass declines with age: some longitudinal observations. Metabolism 19, 653–663.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fredrix, E. W. H. M., Soeters, P. B., Deerenberg, I. M., Kester, A. D. M., von Meyenfeldt, M. F. & Saris, W. H. M. (1990) Resting and sleeping energy expenditure in the elderly. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44, 741–747.Google ScholarPubMed
Fukagawa, N. K., Bandini, L. G. & Young, J. B. (1990) Effect of age on body composition and resting metabolic rate. American Journal of Physiology 259, E233–E238.Google ScholarPubMed
Goran, M. I. & Poehlman, E. T. (1992) Total energy expenditure and energy requirements in healthy elderly persons. Metabolism 41, 744–753.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keys, A., Taylor, H. L. & Grande, F. (1973) Basal metabolism and age of adult man. Metabolism 22, 579–587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Livingstone, M. B. E., Prentice, A. M., Strain, J. J., Coward, W. A., Black, A. E., Barker, M. E., McKenna, P. G. & Whitehead, R. G. (1990) Accuracy of weighed dietary records in studies of diet and health. British Medical Journal 300, 708–712.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGandy, R. B., Barrows, C. H., Spanias, A., Meredith, A., Stone, J. L. & Norris, A. H. (1966) Nutrient intakes and energy expenditure in men of different ages. Journal of Gerontology 21, 581–587.Google Scholar
Pannemans, D. L. E., Halliday, D. & Westerterp, K. R. (1995) Whole body protein turnover in elderly men and women: responses to two levels of protein intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61, 33–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pannemans, D. L. E. & Westerterp, K. R. (1993) Estimation of energy intake to feed subjects at energy balance as verified with doubly labelled water: a study in the elderly. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 47,490–496.Google Scholar
Poehlman, E. T., Berke, E. M., Gardner, A. W., Katzman-Rooks, S. M. & Goran, M. I. (1992) Influence of aerobic capacity, body composition, and thyroid hormones on the age-related decline in resting metabolic rate. Metabolism 41, 915–921.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poehlman, E. T., McAuliffe, T. L., van Houten, D. R. & Danforth, E. (1990) Influence of age and endurance training on metabolic rate and hormones in healthy men. American Journal of Physiology 259, E66–E72.Google ScholarPubMed
Poehlman, E. T., Melby, C. L. & Badylak, S. F. (1991) Relation of age and physical exercise status on metabolic rate in younger and older healthy men. Journal of Gerontology 46, B54–B58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ravussin, E. & Bogardus, C. (1989) Relationship of genetics, age and physical fitness to daily energy expenditure and fuel utilization. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 49, 968–975.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reilly, J. J., Lord, A., Bunker, V. W., Prentice, A. M., Coward, W. A, Thomas, A. J. & Briggs, R. S. (1993) Energy balance in healthy elderly women. British Journal of Nutrition 69, 21–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, S. B., Heyman, M. B., Evans, W. J., Fuss, P., Tsay, R. & Young, V. R. (1991) Dietary energy requirements of young adult men, determined by using the doubly labeled water method. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 499–505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roberts, S. B., Young, V. R., Fuss, P., Heyman, M. B., Fiatrone, M., Dallal, G. E., Cortiella, J. & Evans, W. J. (1992) What are the dietary energy needs of elderly adults? International Journal of Obesity 16, 969–976.Google ScholarPubMed
Schoeller, D. A. (1992) Isotope dilution methods. In Obesity, pp. 80–88 [Bjöntorp, P. and Brodoff, B. N., editors]. Philadelphia: J. B.Lippencott Company.Google Scholar
Schulz, S., Westerterp, K. R. & Brück, K. (1989) Comparison of energy expenditure by the doubly labeled water technique with energy intake, heart rate, and activity recording in man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 49, 1146–1154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tzankoff, S. P. & Norris, A. H. (1977) Effect of muscle mass decrease on age-related BMR changes. Journal of Applied Physiology 43, 1001–1006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vaughan, L., Zurlo, F. & Ravussin, E. (1991) Aging and energy expenditure. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 821–825.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weinsier, R. L., Schutz, Y. & Bracco, D. (1992) Reexamination of the relationship of resting metabolic rate to fat-free mass and to the metabolically active components of fat-free mass in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 55, 790–794.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westerterp, K. R., Meijer, G. A. L., Kester, A. D. M., Wouters, L. & ten Hoor, F. (1992) Fat-free mass as a function of fat mass and habitual activity level. International Journal of Sports Medicine 13, 163–166.Google Scholar
Westerterp, K. R. & Saris, W. H. M. (1991) Limits of energy turnover in relation to physical performance, achievement of energy balance on a daily basis. Journal of Sports Sciences 9, 1–15.Google Scholar
Weststrate, J. A. (1993) Resting metabolic rate and diet induced thermogenesis: a methodological reappraisal. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58, 592–601.Google Scholar