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 - Liverpool John Moores University; ANDERSEN, LENE - University Of Oslo; ANDERSON, LIAM - Liverpool 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 - University Of Wisconsin; BONOMI, ALBERTO - Philips Research Eindhoven; BOUTEN, CARLIJN - Eindhoven University Of Technology; BOVET, PASCAL - Lausanne University Hospital; BUCHOWSKI, MACIEJ - Vanderbilt University; BUTTE, NANCY - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); CAMPS, STEFAN - Maastricht University; CLOSE, GRAEME - Liverpool John Moores University; COOPER, JAMIE - University Of Wisconsin; DAS, SAI KRUPA - 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 - Berlin Institute Of Health; 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 - Mauritius Ministry Of Health And Wellness; JOOSEN, ANNEMIEK - Maastricht University; KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; KEMPEN, KITTY - Maastricht University; KIMURA, MISAKA - National Institutes Of Biomedical Innovation; 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 Oslo; MEIJER, ERWIN - Maastricht University; MOREHEN, JAMES - The Fa Group; MORTON, JAMES - Liverpool John Moores University; NEUHOUSER, MARIAN - University Of Washington; NICKLES, THERES - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); OJIAMBO, ROBERT - Moi University; PIETILAINEN, 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 - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; SCHUIT, ALBERTINE - Tilburg University; SJODIN, ANDERS - 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 - Liverpool John Moores University; WOOD, BRIAN - University Of California (UCLA); YANOVSKI, JACK - National Institutes Of Health (NIH); YOSHIDA, TSUKASA - University Of Tsukuba; ZHANG, XUEYING - University Of Aberdeen; MURPHY-ALFORD, ALEXA - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); LOECHL, CORNELIA - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); LUKE, AMY - Loyola University; ROOD, JENNIFER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center; SCHOELLER, DALE - University Of Wisconsin; PONTZER, HERMAN - Duke University; 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., Bonomi, A.G., Bouten, C.V., Bovet, P., Buchowski, M.D., Butte, N.F., Camps, S.G., Close, G., Cooper, J., Das, S., Cooper, R., Dugas, L., 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., Lambert, E.V., Leonard, W.R., Lessan, N., Martin, C.K., Medin, A.C., Meijer, E.P., Morehen, J.C., Morton, J.P., Neuhouser, M., Nickles, T.A., Ojiambo, R.M., Pietilainen, K.H., Pitsiladis, Y.P., Plange-Rhule, J., Plasqui, G., Prentice, R., Rabinovich, R.A., Racette, S.B., Raichlen, D.A., Ravussin, E., Reynolds, R., 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., Luke, A.M., Rood, J., Schoeller, D.A., Pontzer, H., 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: Doubly labeled water is a non-invasive method that has become the gold standard measurement of total energy expenditure. When combined with measurements of resting energy expenditure, it can be used to calculate physical activity level as the ratio of total to resting expenditure. This study analyzes a collection of 2000 measurements of physical activity level in individuals aged 3 to 97 years. The results show a strong association of physical activity level with body composition, such that higher levels of physical activity are strongly correlated with lean tissue mass. These results are associational, but may indicate that physical activity level is a crucial determinant of lean tissue mass during the life and into old age.

Technical 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.