Daily energy expenditure through the human life course.
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.
Duke Scholars
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- Young Adult
- Pregnancy
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant
- Humans
- General Science & Technology
- Female
- Exercise
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Pregnancy
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant
- Humans
- General Science & Technology
- Female
- Exercise