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Cited by 546Body Composition Measurement TechniquesClinical Nutrition and GastroenterologyAdipose Tissue and Metabolism

Specific metabolic rates of major organs and tissues across adulthood: Evaluation by mechanistic model of resting energy expenditure

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Wang, ZiMian, Ying, Zhiliang, Bosy-Westphal, Anja, Zhang, Junyi, Schautz, Britta, Later, Wiebke, Heymsfield, Steven B, Müller, Manfred J·2010·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
DOI 10.3945/ajcn.2010.29885PMC PMC2980962
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Abstract

Background The specific resting metabolic rates (K(i); in kcal · kg(-1 )· d(-1)) of major organs and tissues in adults were suggested by Elia (in Energy metabolism: tissue determinants and cellular corollaries. New York, NY: Raven Press, 1992) to be as follows: 200 for liver, 240 for brain, 440 for heart and kidneys, 13 for skeletal muscle, 4.5 for adipose tissue, and 12 for residual organs and tissues. However, Elia's K(i) values have never been fully evaluated.Objectives The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the applicability of Elia's K(i) values across adulthood and to explore the potential influence of age on the K(i) values.Design A new approach was developed to evaluate the K(i) values of major organs and tissues on the basis of a mechanistic model: REE = Σ(K(i) × T(i)), where REE is whole-body resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry, and T(i) is the mass of individual organs and tissues measured by magnetic resonance imaging. With measured REE and T(i), marginal 95% CIs for K(i) values were calculated by stepwise univariate regression analysis. An existing database of nonobese, healthy adults [n = 131; body mass index (in kg/m²) <30] was divided into 3 age groups: 21-30 y (young, n = 43), 31-50 y (middle-age, n = 51), and > 50 y (n = 37).Results Elia's K(i) values were within the range of 95% CIs in the young and middle-age groups. However, Elia's K(i) values were outside the right boundaries of 95% CIs in the >50-y group, which indicated that Elia's study overestimated K(i) values by 3% in this group. Age-adjusted K(i) values for adults aged >50 y were 194 for liver, 233 for brain, 426 for heart and kidneys, 12.6 for skeletal muscle, 4.4 for adipose tissue, and 11.6 for residuals.Conclusion The general applicability of Elia's K(i) values was validated across adulthood, although age adjustment is appropriate for specific applications.

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  • Muscle tissue during activity or occlusion situations represents the highest metabolic activity in comparison to other peripheral tissue being measured.

    “The first position was that muscle tissue during activity or occlusion situations would represent the highest metabolic activity in comparison to other peripheral tissue being measured.43”

    From Near-infrared spectroscopy-derived muscle oxygen saturation on a 0% to 100% scale: reliability and validity of the Moxy Monitor (2019) · cites this paper as [43]

  • This pattern agrees with prior work reporting elevated tissue-specific metabolic rates in children and adolescents and reduced rates in older adults.

    “consistent with previous work indicating that tissue-specific metabolic rates are elevated in children and adolescents (22, 24) and reduced in older adults (21, 23, 25).”

    From Daily energy expenditure through the human life course (2021) · cites this paper as [23]

  • At rest, the heart, liver, brain, and kidneys have much higher tissue-specific metabolic rates than muscles, other lean tissue, or fat.

    “At rest, the tissue-specific metabolic rates (Watts/gram) of the heart, liver, brain, and kidneys are much greater than those of the muscles and other lean tissue or fat (21–25).”

    From Daily energy expenditure through the human life course (2021) · cites this paper as [23]

  • After considering average adult weight, brain and muscle emerge as the most metabolically active structures, even at rest.

    “However, after considering the average adult weight of these organs, brain (1.33 kg) and muscle (26.3 kg) emerge as the most metabolically active structures, even at rest [25].”

    From Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [25]

  • Under resting conditions, fractional daily energy expenditure is highest for heart and kidney (each approximately 440 kcal/kg), then brain (approximately 240 kcal/kg), then liver (200 kcal/kg), while resting skeletal muscle needs only approximately 13 kcal/kg.

    “Under resting conditions, the fractional daily energy expenditure is the highest for heart and kidney (each approximately 440 kcal/kg), then for the brain (approximately 240 kcal/kg), then the liver (200 kcal/kg), while the resting skeletal muscle would need only approximately 13 kcal/kg.”

    From Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [25]

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Authors
Wang, Z., Ying, Z., Bosy-Westphal, A., Zhang, J., Schautz, B., Later, W., Heymsfield, S. B., & Müller, M. J.
Affiliations
  • St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (US)
  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center (US)
ORCID
Venue
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-12
Volume
92
Issue
6
Pages
1369-1377
ISSN
0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3945/ajcn.2010.29885
PMC
PMC2980962
OpenAlex
W2123746079
Cited by
546
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 55 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 48 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 6
FWCI
4.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R21DK081633, DK081633)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Clinical Nutrition and Gastroenterology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
Keywords
resting energy expenditure, specific metabolic rate, hepatic metabolism, brain metabolism, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, healthy adults, indirect calorimetry
MeSH terms
Adipose Tissue, Adult, Age Factors, Basal Metabolism, Brain, Energy Metabolism, Female, Heart, Humans, Kidney, Liver, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Biological, Reference Values, Regression Analysis, Muscle, Skeletal, Young Adult

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