Influence of sleeping habits on adaptive thermogenesis during weight loss in adults

Abstract

Objective: To verify whether sleeping habits affect adaptive thermogenesis (i.e. greater than predicted decrease in resting energy expenditure, REE) in overweight and obese adults subjected to caloric restriction. // Methods: A total of 123 overweight and obese men and women (mean ± SD age, 41.1 ± 6.0 years; mean ± SD body mass index, 33.2 ± 3.6 kg/m2) were tested before and 17.2 ± 3.7 weeks after dietary treatment (-300 kcal/day on average). Body fat mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), REE (indirect calorimetry) and sleep duration and quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) were assessed at both baseline and at the end of the weight loss program. Two sets of formula were used to predict changes in REE and the difference between the changes in the predicted REE from the reference equations and the changes in the measured REE were compared between sleep duration groups. // Results: The mean weight loss of all participants over the dietary intervention was 5.9 ± 4.6 kg, 73% of which came from fat losses. The small dietary restriction led to a 57 kcal/day reduction in REE at the end of the weight-loss program (P<0.01). Using multivariable linear regression models, none of sleep duration or quality was associated with a greater than predicted decrease in REE. Similarly, adaptive thermogenesis was not significantly different between short- (<6 h/night) and average-duration (7-9 h/night) sleepers and between poor (PSQI score >5) and good (PSQI score = 5) sleepers. // Conclusion: This study provides evidence that sleeping habits are not associated with a greater than predicted decrease in REE during weight loss in adults exposed to small caloric restriction.