A new procedure to assess the energy requirements of lactation in Gambian women

Abstract

The combined 24-h energy expenditure (24-h EE) of mother and child was measured with a respiratory chamber (indirect calorimeter) in a group of 16 lactating Gambian women and was compared with that of a control group of 16 nonpregnant, nonlactating (NPNL) Gambian women. Breast-milk production (738 +/- 47 g/d: mean +/- SE) was adequate to allow a normal rate of growth of their 2-mo-old babies (28.0 +/- 2.4 g/d). The combined 24-h EE (mother and child) was higher (8381 +/- 180 kJ/d. P less than 0.001) than that of NPNL women (6092 +/- 121 kJ/d). Two-thirds of this differences could be attributed to the child's EE and one-third to a greater spontaneous physical activity of lactating women. The energy retained by the child for growth in conjunction with the calorimetric measurements allowed the calculation of the extra energy requirements for lactation, which were found to be 2100 kJ/d. These results confirm the values of the current dietary recommendations for lactation, based on the energy cost of milk production.

Adjustments in energy expenditure and substrate utilization during late pregnancy and lactation

“…Conflicting results of lower fasting respiratory quotient in lactating compared with nonlactating women (0.82 and 0.85, respectively) (7), as well as no significant differences in respiratory quotient during lactation (10,15,39) have been published.…”

“…Printed in USA. © 1999 American Society for Clinical Nutrition Adjustments in energy expenditure and substrate utilization during late pregnancy and lactation and unchanged in other studies (10,15). The effects of body composition and hormonal milieu on metabolic responses to pregnancy and lactation have not been investigated thoroughly.…”

Repeated measurements of energy intake, energy expenditure and energy balance in lactating Bangladeshi mothers

“…Evidence for energy-sparing mechanisms is con¯icting. Some authors reported a lower BMR (Guillermo-Tuazon et al, 1992) or an increased muscular ef®ciency (Spurr et al, 1998), while other studies did not show any energetic adaptation as a response to an energy de®cit (Frigerio et al, 1991;Beall et al, 1996;Butte et al, 1997;Ferro-Luzzi et al, 1997). Recently Shetty (1999) has questioned the metabolic adaptation of undernourished people.…”