The effect of gender and body composition method on the apparent decline in lean mass-adjusted resting metabolic rate with age
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Declining resting energy expenditure (REE) is a hallmark of normal aging, but the cause of this decline remains controversial. Some, but not all, studies have shown that the decline in REE with age is eliminated after adjustment for fat-free mass (FFM). METHODS: We examined the effect of four body composition methods used to assess FFM (underwater weighing [UWW], bioimpedance analysis [BIA], tritium dilution, and total body potassium [TBK]) on the relationship between REE and age in 30 healthy men and 101 healthy women aged 18 to 87 years. RESULTS: The decline in REE with age was significant in women (-80.3 kJ/d/y, p < .004) but not in men (-46.9 kJ/d/y, p = .328). After adjustment for FFM, the decline in REE with age persisted when FFM was measured by BIA, UWW, or tritium dilution, but no decline was seen when TBK was used to adjust for FFM. In both women and men, fat mass was significantly associated with REE after adjusting for age and FFM. CONCLUSION: It is the decline in cell mass with age, detectable by TBK but not by other methods, rather than any metabolic alteration, that explains the decline in FFM-adjusted REE with age.
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Studies consistently note differences in RMR based on age, sex, height, and body weight or body composition and recommend accounting for these factors to estimate RMR when measured RMR values are unavailable.
“Studies consistently note differences in RMR based on age, sex, height, and body weight or body composition and recommend accounting for these factors to estimate RMR when measured RMR values are unavailable to use as the denominator in computing METs (i.e., relative METs).38,39,42”
From 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities (2024) · cites this paper as [39]
Several factors can influence RMR and the energy expenditure of PA.
“Several factors can influence RMR and the EE of PA;38, 39, 40”
From 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities (2024) · cites this paper as [39]
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- Authors
- Roubenoff, R., Hughes, V. A., Dallal, G. E., Nelson, M. E., Morganti, C., Kehayias, J. J., Singh, M. A. F., & Roberts, S.
- Affiliations
- Tufts University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Roubenoff, R.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2000-12-01
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- M757-M760
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- OpenAlex
- W1992399507
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r21ag015797-02)
- National Institute on Aging (AG-15797)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Keywords
- resting energy expenditure, aging, fat-free mass, lean body mass, body composition measurement, total body potassium, bioelectrical impedance analysis, underwater weighing, sex differences, fat mass, energy metabolism
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aging, Body Composition, Energy Metabolism, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Rest, Sex Characteristics, Thinness, Electric Impedance
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