Objective: The effect of age on energy expenditure was studied.
Design: Case-control study.
Setting: Respiration chamber at the University of Maastricht.
Subjects: Thirteen young men (27 +/- 4 years) and ten elderly men (74 +/- 5 years), were recruited with advertisements in local media.
Methods: In a 36 h experiment, 24 h energy expenditure (EE), sleeping metabolic rate (SMR), diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and energy expenditure of physical activity (EEact) were measured while subjects performed an activity protocol in a respiration chamber under strictly controlled conditions.
Results: SMR as a function of fat-free mass (FFM) was not different between both age groups. 24 h EE during a standardized activity protocol was significantly higher for the young men (young men: 12.85 +/- 1.53 MJ/d; elderly men: 10.90 +/- 1.12 MJ/d; P = 0.011). The DIT expressed as MJ/d was significantly higher for the young subjects but similar when expressed as percentage of energy intake (young men: 13.10 +/- 5.44%; elderly men: 9.88 +/- 3.86%). The resulting figure for EEact (24 h EE--SME--DIT) was the same for young and elderly men (young men: 3.11 +/- 0.71 MJ/d; elderly men: 3.05 +/- 0.64 MJ/d).
Conclusion: The results indicate that mean energy costs for low intensity daily activities (some daily household activities and a bench stepping exercise) were the same for young and elderly men.