Abdominal fat sub-depots and energy expenditure: Magnetic resonance imaging study

Summary Background & aims We aimed to assess the association between the distinct abdominal sub-depots and resting energy expenditure (REE). Methods We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify abdominal visceral-adipose-tissue (VAT), deep-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue (deep-SAT), and superficial-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue (superficial-SAT). We measured REE by indirect-calorimetry. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) [1–3 metabolic equivalents (METs)] and exercise thermogenesis (activities of 4+METS ) were estimated based on 6-days of accelerometry to assess total physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). Results We studied 282 participants: 249 men [mean age = 47.4 years, body-mass-index (BMI) = 31 kg/m2 , mean VAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 34.5%, mean superficial-SAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 24.3%] and 33 women (mean age = 51.2 years, BMI = 30.1 kg/m2 , mean VAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 22.8%, mean superficial-SAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 37.8%). As expected, women had lower REE [by 32.4% (1488 ± 234 kcal/day vs. 1971 ± 257 kcal/day; p