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Physical activity and fat-free mass during growth and in later life

  • Klaas R. Westerterp* (Corresponding Author)
  • , Yosuke Yamada
  • , Hiroyuki Sagayama
  • , Philip N. Ainslie
  • , Lene F. Andersen
  • , Liam J. Anderson
  • , Lenore Arab
  • , Issaad Baddou
  • , Kweku Bedu-Addo
  • , Ellen E. Blaak
  • , Stephane Blanc
  • , Alberto G. Bonomi
  • , Carlijn V.C. Bouten
  • , Pascal Bovet
  • , Maciej S. Buchowski
  • , Nancy F. Butte
  • , Stefan G.J.A. Camps
  • , Graeme L. Close
  • , Jamie A. Cooper
  • , Sai K. Das
  • Richard Cooper, Lara R. Dugas, Ulf Ekelund, Sonja Entringer, Terrence Forrester, Barry W. Fudge, Annelies H. Goris, Michael Gurven, Catherine Hambly, Asmaa E. El Hamdouchi, Marije B. Hoos, Sumei Hu, Noorjehan Joonas, Annemiek M. Joosen, Peter Katzmarzyk, Kitty P. Kempen, Misaka Kimura, William E. Kraus, Robert F. Kushner, Estelle V. Lambert, William R. Leonard, Nader Lessan, Corby K. Martin, Anine C. Medin, Erwin P. Meijer, James C. Morehen, James P. Morton, Marian L. Neuhouser, Xueying Zhang, John R. Speakman* (Corresponding Author), International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water database group
*Corresponding author for this work
  • Maastricht University
  • National Institute of Health and Nutrition Tokyo
  • Kyoto University of Advanced Science
  • University of Tsukuba
  • Liverpool John Moores University
  • University of Oslo
  • Crewe Alexandra Football Club
  • University of California at Los Angeles
  • Ibn Tofail University
  • Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien
  • Koninklijke Philips N.V.
  • Eindhoven University of Technology
  • University of Lausanne
  • Vanderbilt University
  • United States Department of Agriculture
  • Tufts University
  • Loyola University Chicago
  • Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
  • Berlin Institute of Health
  • University of California at Irvine
  • The University of the West Indies
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of California at Santa Barbara
  • Ministry of Health
  • LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center
  • Duke University
  • Northwestern University
  • University of Cape Town
  • Imperial College London
  • University of Agder
  • FA Group
  • University of Washington
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology
  • Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • CAS - Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Background: Physical activity may be a way to increase and maintain fat-free mass (FFM) in later life, similar to the prevention of fractures by increasing peak bone mass. Objectives: A study is presented of the association between FFM and physical activity in relation to age. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, FFM was analyzed in relation to physical activity in a large participant group as compiled in the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water database. The database included 2000 participants, age 3-96 y, with measurements of total energy expenditure (TEE) and resting energy expenditure (REE) to allow calculation of physical activity level (PAL = TEE/REE), and calculation of FFM from isotope dilution. Results: PAL was a main determinant of body composition at all ages. Models with age, fat mass (FM), and PAL explained 76% and 85% of the variation in FFM in females and males < 18 y old, and 32% and 47% of the variation in FFM in females and males ≥ 18 y old, respectively. In participants < 18 y old, mean FM-adjusted FFM was 1.7 kg (95% CI: 0.1, 3.2 kg) and 3.4 kg (95% CI: 1.0, 5.6 kg) higher in a very active participant with PAL = 2.0 than in a sedentary participant with PAL = 1.5, for females and males, respectively. At age 18 y, height and FM-adjusted FFM was 3.6 kg (95% CI: 2.8, 4.4 kg) and 4.4 kg (95% CI: 3.2, 5.7 kg) higher, and at age 80 y 0.7 kg (95% CI: -0.2, 1.7 kg) and 1.0 kg (95% CI: -0.1, 2.1 kg) higher, in a participant with PAL = 2.0 than in a participant with PAL = 1.5, for females and males, respectively. Conclusions: If these associations are causal, they suggest physical activity is a major determinant of body composition as reflected in peak FFM, and that a physically active lifestyle can only partly protect against loss of FFM in aging adults.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1583-1589
Number of pages7
JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume114
Issue number5
Early online date3 Sept 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Supported by US National Science Foundation grant BCS-1824466 (to HP). The funders played no role in the content of this article.

Data Availability Statement

Data availability
Data All data used in these analyses are freely available via the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water database (https://www.dlwdatabase.org/).

Funding

Supported by US National Science Foundation grant BCS-1824466 (to HP). The funders played no role in the content of this article.

Keywords

  • age
  • body composition
  • doubly labeled water
  • energy expenditure
  • physical activity level

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