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

Authors: WESTERTERP, KLAAS - Maastricht University; YAMADA, YOSUKE - National Institutes Of Biomedical Innovation; SAGAYAMA, HIROYUKI - University Of Tsukuba; AINSLIE, PHILIP - John Moores University; ANDERSEN, LENE - University Of Oslo; ANDERSON, LIAM - John Moores University; ARAB, LENORE - University Of California; BADDOU, ISSAAD - Universite Ibn Tofail; BEDU-ADDO, KWEKU - Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology; BLAAK, ELLEN - Maastricht University; BLANC, STEPHANE - Université De Strasbourg: Accueil; BONAMI, ALBERTO - Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Llc; BOUTEN, CARLIJN - Maastricht University; BOVET, PASCAL - Lausanne University Hospital; BUCHOWSKI, MACIEJ - Vanderbilt University; BUTTE, NANCY - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); CAMPS, STEFAN - Maastricht University; CLOSE, GRAEME - John Moores University; COOPER, JAMIE - University Of Wisconsin; DAS, SAI - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; COOPER, RICHARD - Loyola University; DUGAS, LARA - Loyola University; EKELUND, ULF - Norwegian School Of Sport Sciences; ENTRINGER, SONJA - University Of California; FORRESTER, TERRENCE - University Of The West Indies; FUDGE, BARRY - University Of Glasgow; GORIS, ANNELIES - Maastricht University; GURVEN, MICHAEL - University Of California; HAMBLY, CATHERINE - University Of Aberdeen; EL HAMDOUCHI, ASMAA - Universite Ibn Tofail; HOOS, MARIJE - Maastricht University; HU, SUMEI - Chinese Academy Of Sciences; JOONAS, NOORJEHAN - Ministry Of Health And Wellness; JOOSEN, ANNEMIEK - Maastricht University; KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; KEMPEN, KITTY - Maastricht University; KIMURA, MISAKA - Kyoto University; KRAUS, WILLIAM - Duke University; KUSHNER, ROBERT - Northwestern University; LAMBERT, ESTELLE - University Of Cape Town; LEONARD, WILLIAM - Northwestern University; LESSAN, NADER - Imperial College; MARTIN, CORBY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; MEDIN, ANINE - University Of Agder; MEIJER, ERWIN - Maastricht University; MOREHEN, JAMES - The Fa Group; MORTON, JAMES - John Moores University; NEUHAUSER, MARIAN - University Of Washington; NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); OJIAMBO, ROBERT - Moi University; PIETILÄINEN, KIRSI - Helsinki University; PITSILADIS, YANNIS - The University Of Brighton; PLANGE-RHULE, JACOB - Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology; PLASQUI, GUY - Maastricht University; PRENTICE, ROSS - University Of Washington; RABINOVICH, ROBERTO - University Of Edinburgh; RACETTE, SUSAN - Washington University; RAICHLEN, DAVID - University Of Southern California; RAVUSSIN, ERIC - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; REYNOLDS, REBECCA - University Of Edinburgh; Roberts, Susan; SCHUIT, ALBERTINE - University Of Wageningen; SJODIN, ANDRES - Copenhagen University; STICE, ERIC - Stanford University; URLACHER, SAMUEL - Baylor University; VALENTI, GIULIO - Maastricht University; VAN ETTEN, LUDO - Maastricht University; VAN MIL, EDGAR - Maastricht University; WELLS, JONATHAN - Ucl Great Ormond Street Institute Of Child Health; WILSON, GEORGE - John Moores University; WOOD, BRIAN - University Of California (UCLA); YANOVSKI, JACK - Max Planck Institute For Evolutionary Biology; YOSHIDA, TSUKASA - National Institutes Of Biomedical Innovation; ZHANG, XUEYING - Chinese Academy Of Sciences; MURPHY-ALFORD, ALEXIA - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); LOECHL, CORNELIA - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); LUKE, AMY - Loyola University; PONTZER, HERMAN - Duke University; ROOD, JENNIFER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; SCHOELLER, DALE - University Of Wisconsin; WONG, WILLIAM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); SPEAKMAN, JOHN - University Of Aberdeen

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2021
Publication Date: 9/3/2021
Citation: Westerterp, K.R., Yamada, Y., Sagayama, H., Ainslie, P.N., Andersen, L.F., Anderson, L.J., Arab, L., Baddou, I., Bedu-Addo, K., Blaak, E.E., Blanc, S., Bonami, A.G., Bouten, C.V., Bovet, P., Buchowski, M.S., Butte, N.F., Camps, S.G., Close, G.L., Cooper, J.A., Das, S.K., Cooper, R., Dugas, L.R., Ekelund, U., Entringer, S., Forrester, T., Fudge, B.W., Goris, A.H., Gurven, M., Hambly, C., El Hamdouchi, A., Hoos, M.B., Hu, S., Joonas, N., Joosen, A.M., Katzmarzyk, P., Kempen, K.P., Kimura, M., Kraus, W.E., Kushner, R.F., Lambert, E.V., Leonard, W.R., Lessan, N., Martin, C.K., Medin, A.C., Meijer, E.P., Morehen, J.C., Morton, J.P., Neuhauser, M.L., Nicklas, T.A., Ojiambo, R.M., Pietilainen, K.H., Pitsiladis, Y.P., Plange-Rhule, J., Plasqui, G., Prentice, R.L., Rabinovich, R.A., Racette, S.B., Raichlen, D.A., Ravussin, E., Reynolds, R.M., Roberts, S., Schuit, A.J., Sjodin, A.M., Stice, E., Urlacher, S.S., Valenti, G., Van Etten, L.M., Van Mil, E.A., Wells, J.C., Wilson, G., Wood, B.M., Yanovski, J., Yoshida, T., Zhang, X., Murphy-Alford, A.J., Loechl, C.U., Luke, A.H., Pontzer, H., Rood, J., Schoeller, D.A., Wong, W.W., Speakman, J.R. 2021. Physical activity and fat-free mass during growth and in later life. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab260.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab260

Interpretive Summary: Physical activity may be a way to increase and maintain fat-free mass (FFM) in later life by increasing peak bone mass. We analyzed FFM in relation to physical activity in 2000 males and females ages 3–96 years. We learned that FFM was highest, around age 30 years, in both females and males. We found that physical activity was a major determinant of body composition as reflected in peak FFM. However, a physically active lifestyle only partly protected against a loss of FFM in aging adults.

Technical Abstract: 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. A study is presented of the association between FFM and physical activity in relation to age. 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. 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. 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.