Human energy metabolism below, near and above energy equilibrium.

Complete 24 h energy and nitrogen balances were measured for fifteen subjects at three levels of energy intake and for two other subjects at two levels of intake. At each level, the fifteen subjects ate diets consisting of fifteen to twenty separate foods for 7 or 8 d. Faeces and urine were collected for the final 4 d. Respiratory gas exchange was measured during the final 72 h while the subjects stayed in an 11 m3 open-circuit respiration chamber, and simulated office or light household work. The energy balance of the other two subjects was determined initially in a similar way when they consumed a diet which was sufficient for energy equilibrium. Subsequently, the measurements were repeated twice at the same high level of metabolizable energy (ME) intake after 4 and 18 d on that diet. Neither energy nor N digestibilities were significantly affected by intake level or subject. Due to relatively small urinary energy losses the ME content of the gross energy increased slightly at the higher intake. Respiratory quotient increased with intake level from 0.78 to 0.87. The efficiencies of utilization of ME were approximately 1.0 for maintenance (from the low to the intermediate intake level) and decreased to about 0.9 for maintenance and energy deposition (from the intermediate to the high intake level). Estimates of daily ME requirements at energy equilibrium were 149 (SD 13) kJ ME/kg body-weight, 432 (SD 33) kJ ME/kg body-weight 0.75 and 204 (SD 22) kJ/kg lean body mass. The former two values were negatively correlated with percentage body fat although not significantly so. ME utilization and heat production of the other two subjects were nearly equal after 6 and 20 d on a diet supplying 1.5-1.7 times the ME needed for energy equilibrium.