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Resting energy expenditure can be assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in women regardless of age and fitness

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages 529–535 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the possibility that measurement of the magnitude and distribution of fundamental somatic heat-producing units using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can be used to estimate resting energy expenditure (REE) in both young and elderly women with different aerobic fitness levels.

Subjects and methods:

Peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) and REEm were directly measured in 116 young (age: 22.3±2.1 years) and 72 elderly (63.3±6.4 years) women. The subjects were divided into four groups according to categories of age and VO2 peak; young: high fitness (YH, n=58); low fitness (YL, n=58); elderly: high fitness (EH, n=37) and low fitness (EL, n=35). Using DXA, systemic and regional body compositions were measured, and REEe was estimated from the sum of tissue organ weights multiplied by corresponding metabolic rate.

Results:

Although there were remarkable differences in systemic and regional body compositions, no significant differences were observed between REEm and REEe in the four groups. REEe significantly correlated with REEm in elderly as well as young women; the slopes and intercepts of the two regression lines were statistically not different between the elderly and young groups (elderly: y=0.60x+472, r=0.667; young: y=0.78x+250, r=0.798; P<0.001, respectively). A Bland–Altman analysis did not indicate bias in calculation of REE for all the subjects.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that REE can be estimated from tissue organ components in women regardless of age and aerobic fitness.

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Acknowledgements

We express our appreciation to the subjects for their cooperation in this study. We thank the members of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition for their help in this experiment. This study was supported by a Research Grant for Academic Frontier Projects from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (05F-02), a Waseda University Grant for Special Research Projects (2005A-932, 2006B-242), Health Sciences Research Grants from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Medical Health Care Research Grants from the Consolidated Research Institute for Advanced Science and Medical Care at Waseda University and Research Grants from the Japanese Olympic Committee.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sport Sciences, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan

    C Usui, E Takahashi & Y Gando

  2. Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan

    C Usui & M Higuchi

  3. Consolidated Research Institute for Advanced Science and Medical Care, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    K Sanada & M Higuchi

  4. Department of Home Economics, Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo, Japan

    J Oka

  5. Health Promotion and Exercise Program, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan

    M Miyachi & I Tabata

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  1. C Usui
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  2. E Takahashi
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  8. M Higuchi
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Correspondence to M Higuchi.

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Usui, C., Takahashi, E., Gando, Y. et al. Resting energy expenditure can be assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in women regardless of age and fitness. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 529–535 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602980

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