Dynamic changes in energy expenditure in response to underfeeding: a review.

The observation that 64% of English adults are overweight or obese despite a rising prevalence in weight-loss attempts suggests our understanding of energy balance is fundamentally flawed. Weight-loss is induced through a negative energy balance; however, we typically view weight change as a static function, in that energy intake and energy expenditure are independent variables, resulting in a fixed rate of weight-loss assuming a constant energy deficit. Such static modelling provides the basis for the clinical assumption that a 14644 kJ (3500 kcal) deficit translates to a 1 lb weight-loss. However, this '3500 kcal (14644 kJ) rule' is consistently shown to significantly overestimate weight-loss. Static modelling disregards obligatory changes in energy expenditure associated with the loss of metabolically active tissue, i.e. skeletal muscle. Additionally, it disregards the presence of adaptive thermogenesis, the underfeeding-associated fall in resting energy expenditure beyond that caused by loss of fat-free mass. This metabolic manipulation of energy expenditure is observed from the onset of energy restriction to maintain weight at a genetically pre-determined set point. As a result, the observed magnitude of weight-loss is disproportionally less, followed by earlier weight plateau, despite strict compliance to a dietary intervention. By simulating dynamic changes in energy expenditure associated with underfeeding, mathematical modelling may provide a more accurate method of weight-loss prediction. However, accuracy at an individual level is limited due to difficulty estimating energy requirements, physical activity and dietary intake in free-living individuals. In the present paper, we aim to outline the contribution of dynamic changes in energy expenditure to weight-loss resistance and weight plateau.

Intermittent v. continuous energy restriction: differential effects on postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism following matched weight loss in overweight/obese participants.

The intermittent energy restriction (IER) approach to weight loss involves short periods of substantial (>70 %) energy restriction (ER) interspersed with normal eating. Studies to date comparing IER to continuous energy restriction (CER) have predominantly measured fasting indices of cardiometabolic risk. This study aimed to compare the effects of IER and CER on postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism following matched weight loss. In all, twenty-seven (thirteen male) overweight/obese participants (46 (sem 3) years, 30·1 (sem 1·0) kg/m2) who were randomised to either an IER intervention (2638 kJ for 2 d/week with an overall ER of 22 (sem 0·3) %, n 15) or a CER intervention (2510 kJ below requirements with overall ER of 23 (sem 0·8) %) completed the study. Postprandial responses to a test meal (over 360 min) and changes in anthropometry (fat mass, fat-free mass, circumferences) were assessed at baseline and upon attainment of 5 % weight loss, following a 7-d period of weight stabilisation. The study found no statistically significant difference in the time to attain a 5 % weight loss between groups (median 59 d (interquartile range (IQR) 41-80) and 73 d (IQR 48-128), respectively, P=0·246), or in body composition (P≥0·437). For postprandial measures, neither diet significantly altered glycaemia (P=0·266), whereas insulinaemia was reduced comparatively (P=0·903). The reduction in C-peptide tended (P=0·057) to be greater following IER (309 128 (sem23 268) to 247781 (sem20 709) pmol×360 min/l) v. CER (297 204 (sem25 112) to 301 655 (sem32 714) pmol×360 min/l). The relative reduction in TAG responses was greater (P=0·045) following IER (106 (sem30) to 68 (sem 15) mmol×360 min/l) compared with CER (117 (sem 43) to 130 (sem 31) mmol×360 min/l). In conclusion, these preliminary findings highlight underlying differences between IER and CER, including a superiority of IER in reducing postprandial lipaemia, which now warrant targeted mechanistic evaluation within larger study cohorts.

Simultaneous measurement of triboelectrification and triboluminescence of crystalline materials.

Triboelectrification has been studied for over 2500 years, yet there is still a lack of fundamental understanding as to its origin. Given its utility in areas such as xerography, powder spray painting, and energy harvesting, many devices have been made to investigate triboelectrification at many length-scales, though few seek to additionally make use of triboluminescence: the emission of electromagnetic radiation immediately following a charge separation event. As devices for measuring triboelectrification became smaller and smaller, now measuring down to the atomic scale with atomic force microscope based designs, an appreciation for the collective and multi-scale nature of triboelectrification has perhaps abated. Consider that the energy required to move a unit charge is very large compared to a van der Waals interaction, yet peeling Scotch tape (whose adhesion is derived from van der Waals forces) can provide strong enough energy-focusing to generate X-ray emission. This paper presents a device to press approximately cm-sized materials together in a vacuum, with in situ alignment. Residual surface charge, force, and position and X-ray, visible light, and RF emission are measured for single crystal samples. Charge is therefore tracked throughout the charging and discharging processes, resulting in a more complete picture of triboelectrification, with controllable and measurable environmental influence. Macroscale charging is directly measured, whilst triboluminescence, originating in atomic-scale processes, probes the microscale. The apparatus was built with the goal of obtaining an ab initio-level explanation of triboelectrification for well-defined materials, at the micro- and macro-scale, which has eluded scientists for millennia.

Acute effects of exercise intensity on subsequent substrate utilisation, appetite, and energy balance in men and women.

Exercise is capable of influencing the regulation of energy balance by acutely modulating appetite and energy intake coupled to effects on substrate utilization. Yet, few studies have examined acute effects of exercise intensity on aspects of both energy intake and energy metabolism, independently of energy cost of exercise. Furthermore, little is known as to the gender differences of these effects. One hour after a standardised breakfast, 40 (19 female), healthy participants (BMI 23.6 ± 3.6 kg·m-2, V̇O2peak 34.4 ± 6.8 mL·kg-1·min-1) undertook either high-intensity intermittent cycling (HIIC) consisting of 8 repeated 60 s bouts of cycling at 95% V̇O2peak or low-intensity continuous cycling (LICC), equivalent to 50% V̇O2peak, matched for energy cost (∼950 kJ) followed by 90 mins of rest, in a randomised crossover design. Throughout each study visit, satiety was assessed subjectively using visual analogue scales alongside blood metabolites and GLP-1. Energy expenditure and substrate utilization were measured over 75 min postexercise via indirect calorimetry. Energy intake was assessed for 48 h postintervention. No differences in appetite, GLP-1, or energy intakes were observed between HIIC and LICC, with or without stratifying for gender. Significant differences in postexercise nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were observed between intensities in both genders, coupled to a significantly lower respiratory exchange ratio following HIIC (P = 0.0028), with a trend towards greater reductions in respiratory exchange ratioin males (P = 0.079). In conclusion, high-intensity exercise, if energy matched, does not lead to greater appetite or energy intake, but may exert additional beneficial metabolic effects that may be more pronounced in males.

Effects of intermittent fasting on glucose and lipid metabolism.

Two intermittent fasting variants, intermittent energy restriction (IER) and time-restricted feeding (TRF), have received considerable interest as strategies for weight-management and/or improving metabolic health. With these strategies, the pattern of energy restriction and/or timing of food intake are altered so that individuals undergo frequently repeated periods of fasting. This review provides a commentary on the rodent and human literature, specifically focusing on the effects of IER and TRF on glucose and lipid metabolism. For IER, there is a growing evidence demonstrating its benefits on glucose and lipid homeostasis in the short-to-medium term; however, more long-term safety studies are required. Whilst the metabolic benefits of TRF appear quite profound in rodents, findings from the few human studies have been mixed. There is some suggestion that the metabolic changes elicited by these approaches can occur in the absence of energy restriction, and in the context of IER, may be distinct from those observed following similar weight-loss achieved via modest continuous energy restriction. Mechanistically, the frequently repeated prolonged fasting intervals may favour preferential reduction of ectopic fat, beneficially modulate aspects of adipose tissue physiology/morphology, and may also impinge on circadian clock regulation. However, mechanistic evidence is largely limited to findings from rodent studies, thus necessitating focused human studies, which also incorporate more dynamic assessments of glucose and lipid metabolism. Ultimately, much remains to be learned about intermittent fasting (in its various forms); however, the findings to date serve to highlight promising avenues for future research.

Investigation into the acute effects of total and partial energy restriction on postprandial metabolism among overweight/obese participants.

The intermittent energy restriction (IER) approach to weight loss involves short periods of substantial (75-100 %) energy restriction (ER) interspersed with normal eating. This study aimed to characterise the early metabolic response to these varying degrees of ER, which occurs acutely and prior to weight loss. Ten (three female) healthy, overweight/obese participants (36 (SEM 5) years; 29·0 (sem 1·1) kg/m2) took part in this acute three-way cross-over study. Participants completed three 1-d dietary interventions in a randomised order with a 1-week washout period: isoenergetic intake, partial 75 % ER and total 100 % ER. Fasting and postprandial (6-h) metabolic responses to a liquid test meal were assessed the following morning via serial blood sampling and indirect calorimetry. Food intake was also recorded for two subsequent days of ad libitum intake. Relative to the isoenergetic control, postprandial glucose responses were increased following total ER (+142 %; P=0·015) and to a lesser extent after partial ER (+76 %; P=0·051). There was also a delay in the glucose time to peak after total ER only (P=0·024). Both total and partial ER interventions produced comparable reductions in postprandial TAG responses (-75 and -59 %, respectively; both P<0·05) and 3-d energy intake deficits of approximately 30 % (both P=0·015). Resting and meal-induced thermogenesis were not significantly affected by either ER intervention. In conclusion, our data demonstrate the ability of substantial ER to acutely alter postprandial glucose-lipid metabolism (with partial ER producing the more favourable overall response), as well as incomplete energy-intake compensation amongst overweight/obese participants. Further investigations are required to establish how metabolism adapts over time to the repeated perturbations experienced during IER, as well as the implications for long-term health.

The missing risk: MRI and MRS phenotyping of abdominal adiposity and ectopic fat.

Individual compartments of abdominal adiposity and lipid content within the liver and muscle are differentially associated with metabolic risk factors, obesity and insulin resistance. Subjects with greater intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) and hepatic fat than predicted by clinical indices of obesity may be at increased risk of metabolic diseases despite their "normal" size. There is a need for accurate quantification of these potentially hazardous depots and identification of novel subphenotypes that recognize individuals at potentially increased metabolic risk. We aimed to calculate a reference range for total and regional adipose tissue (AT) as well as ectopic fat in liver and muscle in healthy subjects. We studied the relationship between age, body-mass, BMI, waist circumference (WC), and the distribution of AT, using whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in 477 white volunteers (243 male, 234 female). Furthermore, we used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to determine intrahepatocellular (IHCL) and intramyocellular (IMCL) lipid content. The anthropometric variable which provided the strongest individual correlation for adiposity and ectopic fat stores was WC in men and BMI in women. In addition, we reveal a large variation in IAAT, abdominal subcutaneous AT (ASAT), and IHCL depots not fully predicted by clinically obtained measurements of obesity and the emergence of a previously unidentified subphenotype. Here, we demonstrate gender- and age-specific patterns of regional adiposity in a large UK-based cohort and identify anthropometric variables that best predict individual adiposity and ectopic fat stores. From these data we propose the thin-on-the-outside fat-on-the-inside (TOFI) as a subphenotype for individuals at increased metabolic risk.

Potential benefits of marathon training on bone health as assessed by calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation.

The purpose of this study was to determine calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of marathon race participants and compare this information with previously obtained normative data. BUA was assessed using the McCue CUBA clinical device in 217 male and 184 female runners, aged 20-93 yr, participating in the 2004 Flora London Marathon. The normative data included 267 men and 334 women, aged 20-80 yr. A significantly higher mean BUA (p<0.001) was observed for all the men (91.2 dB/MHz, standard deviation [SD] 18.2 dB/MHz) in the study compared to the women (81.6 dB/MHz, SD 17.0 dB/MHz) and for the marathon runners compared to the nonrunners (p<0.001) among men (97.2dB/MHz, SD 17.6 dB/MHz and 87.7 dB/MHz, SD 17.6 dB/MHz, respectively) and women (89.2dB/MHz, SD 14.2dB/MHz and 77.4dB/MHz, SD 17.0 dB/MHz, respectively). A significant decline in BUA with age was observed in all males and females, with the males starting from a higher baseline and with the rate of decline significantly ameliorated by marathon training (from -0.35 to -0.25 dB/MHz per year in men and -0.51 to -0.15 dB/MHz per year in women). This study provides observational evidence in support of the potential benefits of weight-bearing exercise, such as marathon training and running, on BUA of the calcaneus, an index of bone mineral density.