No evidence for metabolic adaptation during exercise-related energy compensation
E.W. Flanagan,
G. Sanchez-Delgado,
C.K. Martin,
E. Ravussin,
H. Pontzer,
L.M. Redman
Affiliations
E.W. Flanagan
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
G. Sanchez-Delgado
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 12e Avenue N Porte 6, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada; University of Granada, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology “José Mataix” and Sport and Health University Research Institute, Cuesta del Hospicio Viejo s/n, 18012 Granada, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
C.K. Martin
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
E. Ravussin
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA
H. Pontzer
Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 211 Biological Sciences, Durham, NC 27708, USA
L.M. Redman
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: The constrained energy model posits that the increased total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) in response to exercise is often less than the energy cost of the exercise prescribed. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon, coined “exercise-related energy compensation” (ExEC), are poorly understood, and it is unknown if ExEC is coupled with metabolic adaptation. Using a randomized controlled 24-week exercise intervention, individuals who demonstrated ExEC were identified. Changes to all components of TDEE and metabolic adaptation were assessed using doubly labeled water over 14 days and room calorimetry over 24-h 48% of individuals exhibited ExEC (−308 ± 158 kcals/day). There were no statistically significant differences in sex, age, or BMI between ExEC and non-ExEC. ExEC was associated with baseline TDEE (r = −0.50, p = 0.006). There were no statistically significant differences in metabolic adaptations for 24 h, sleep, or resting expenditures. These findings reveal that ExEC occurs independent of metabolic adaptation in sedentary components of EE.
