Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 373; no. 6556; pp. 808 - 812
• Main Authors: Pontzer, Herman, Yamada, Yosuke, Sagayama, Hiroyuki, Ainslie, Philip N., Andersen, Lene F., Anderson, Liam J., Arab, Lenore, Baddou, Issaad, Bedu-Addo, Kweku, Blaak, Ellen E., Blanc, Stephane, Bonomi, Alberto G., Bouten, Carlijn V. C., Bovet, Pascal, Buchowski, Maciej S., Butte, Nancy F., Camps, Stefan G., Close, Graeme L., Cooper, Jamie A., Cooper, Richard, Das, Sai Krupa, Dugas, Lara R., Ekelund, Ulf, Entringer, Sonja, Forrester, Terrence, Fudge, Barry W., Goris, Annelies H, Gurven, Michael, Hambly, Catherine, El Hamdouchi, Asmaa, Hoos, Marjije B., Hu, Sumei, Joonas, Noorjehan, Joosen, Annemiek M., Katzmarzyk, Peter, Kempen, Kitty P., Kimura, Misaka, Kraus, William E., Kushner, Robert F., Lambert, Estelle V., Leonard, William R., Lessan, Nader, Martin, Corby, Medin, Anine C., Meijer, Erwin P., Morehen, James C., Morton, James P., Neuhouser, Marian L., Nicklas, Teresa A., Ojiambo, Robert M., Pietiläinen, Kirsi H., Pitsiladis, Yannis P., Plange-Rhule, Jacob, Plasqui, Guy, Prentice, Ross L., Rabinovich, Roberto A., Racette, Susan B., Raichlen, David A., Ravussin, Eric, Reynolds, Rebecca M., Roberts, Susan B., Schuit, Albertine J., Sjödin, Anders M., Stice, Eric, Urlacher, Samuel S., Valenti, Giulio, Van Etten, Ludo M., Van Mil, Edgar A., Wells, Jonathan C. K., Wilson, George, Wood, Brian M., Yanovski, Jack, Yoshida, Tsukasa, Zhang, Xueying, Murphy-Alford, Alexia J., Loechl, Cornelia, Luke, Amy H., Rood, Jennifer, Schoeller, Dale A., Westerterp, Klaas R., Wong, William W., Speakman, John R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 13.08.2021; American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging (Individuals); Basal Metabolism; Body Composition; Body Weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Energy; Energy expenditure; Energy Metabolism; Exercise; Expenditures; Fat-free body mass; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Life; Life Sciences; Life span; Male; Middle Aged; Neonates; Nutrition; Older Adults; Older people; Pregnancy; Scientific Concepts; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.abe5017

Measurements of total and basal energy in a large cohort of subjects at ages spanning from before birth to old age document distinct changes that occur during a human lifetime. Pontzer et al . report that energy expenditure (adjusted for weight) in neonates was like that of adults but increased substantially in the first year of life (see the Perspective by Rhoads and Anderson). It then gradually declined until young individuals reached adult characteristics, which were maintained from age 20 to 60 years. Older individuals showed reduced energy expenditure. Tissue metabolism thus appears not to be constant but rather to undergo transitions at critical junctures. —LBR How metabolism and energy expenditure change over the human life span. Total daily energy expenditure (“total expenditure”) reflects daily energy needs and is a critical variable in human health and physiology, but its trajectory over the life course is poorly studied. We analyzed a large, diverse database of total expenditure measured by the doubly labeled water method for males and females aged 8 days to 95 years. Total expenditure increased with fat-free mass in a power-law manner, with four distinct life stages. Fat-free mass–adjusted expenditure accelerates rapidly in neonates to ~50% above adult values at ~1 year; declines slowly to adult levels by ~20 years; remains stable in adulthood (20 to 60 years), even during pregnancy; then declines in older adults. These changes shed light on human development and aging and should help shape nutrition and health strategies across the life span.