title: Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure in pregnant and nonpregnant Gambian women, measured in a whole-body indirect calorimeter.
abstract: Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure (EE), daily and sleeping EE, and the energy cost of a standardized treadmill exercise were assessed in a respiration chamber in 41 young pregnant Gambian women at 12 (n = 11), 24 (n = 15), and 36 (n = 15) wk of gestation and compared with 13 nonpregnant nonlactating (NPNL) control women. The rate of 24-h EE was significantly higher (P less than 0.001) at 36 wk gestation (8443 +/- 243 kJ/d) than in the NPNL group (6971 +/- 172 kJ/d) or at 12 and 24 wk (7088 +/- 222 and 7188 +/- 192 kJ/d, respectively). Per unit body weight, no more differences in 24-h EE, daily and sleeping EE, or energy cost of walking were observed between pregnant and NPNL women. There was no statistical difference in the 24-h respiratory quotient among the groups. We conclude that the state of pregnancy in Gambian women induces a progressive rise in 24-h EE, which becomes significant in the third trimester and is proportional to body weight.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heini
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Schutz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jéquier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002151:Calorimetry; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D012621:Seasons; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine