Table 1.
Selection of human overfeeding experiments
| Reference | Subjects | Overfeeding period/setting | Dietary intake* | EE measurements | Limited activity | Mean weight gain | Changes in EE** | Costs of weight gain (MJ/kg)*** | Adaptive thermogenesis? |
| Bouchard et al./Tremblay et al. [22, 30] | 24 males (12 twin pairs) normal weight | 84 d metabolic unit | + 4.2 MJ/d 15% P, 35% F, 50% CHO | RMR, DIT | yes | 8.1 ± 2.4 kg | ΔRMR 0.69 ± 0.60 MJ/d | 44 | no |
| Dallosso and James [41] | 8 males normal weight | 7 d metabolic unit | 150% base 50% F | TEE, SMR, BMR | low or high exercise | 1.2 ± 0.5 kg | ΔTEE 5.6% (low), 6.4% (high) | 39 | yes |
| Diaz et al. [4] | 6 males normal/overweight | 42 d metabolic unit | 150% base 12% P, 42% F, 46% CHO | ADMR, TEE, BMR | no | 7.6 ± 1.6 kg | ΔBMR 0.9 ± 0.4, ΔDIT + AEE 0.9 ± 2.1 MJ/d | 35 | no |
| Forbes et al. [23] | 2 males, 13 females normal weight | 17–21 d metabolic unit | total 79–159 MJ; 15% P, 45–50% F, 45–50% CHO | BMR | no | 4.4 ± 0.6 kg | ΔBMR 0.49 ± 0.46 MJ/d | 28 | no |
| Glick et al. [40] | 8 females normal/overweight | 5 d metabolic unit | + 9.5 MJ/d 13% P, 38% F, 50% CHO | O2-consump. during rest and exercise | yes | 1.8 ± 0.3 kg | no | 26 | no |
| Horton et al. [14] | 16 males normal weight/obese | 14 d | + 50% base entirely F or CHO | TEE | no | 2.7 kg | ΔTEE 0.9 (CHO) MJ/d | CHO 90 F 100 | no |
| Jebb et al. [24] | 3 males normal weight | 12 d respiration chamber | 133% base 15% P, 35% F, 50% CHO | TEE, BMR | yes | 2.9 kg | ΔBMR 0.42 MJ/d ΔTEE 0.75 MJ/d | no | |
| Joosen et al. [19] | 14 females normal weight | 14 d outpatients | 150% base 7% P, 40% F, 53% CHO | ADMR, BMR, PA | no | 1.5 ± 0.9 kg | ΔBMR 0.38 ± 0.47 MJ/d | 54 | no |
| Lammert et al. [20] | 20 males normal weight | 21 d metabolic unit | + 5 MJ/d high F or high CHO | SMR | pairs according to habitual PA | 1.5 kg | no | CHO 87 F 64 | no |
| Levine et al. [25] | 12 males, 4 females normal weight | 56 d outpatients | + 4.2 MJ/d 20% P, 40% F, 40% CHO | ADMR, BMR, DIT, NEAT, PA | volitional exercise constant and low | 4.7 ± 1.8 kg | ΔBMR 0.33 ± 0.53 ΔDIT 0.58 ± 0.35, ΔNEAT 1.38 ± 1.08 MJ/d | 50 | yes |
| Norgan and Durnin [36] | 6 males normal weight | 42 d metabolic unit | + 6.2 MJ/d 12% P, 33% F, 38% CHO, 7% alcohol | resting and mobile activities | sedentary (leisure) activities | 6.0 ± 1.8 kg | no | 43 | no |
| Pasquet et al. [26] | 9 males normal weight | 61–65 d 'Guru Walla' | total 955 ± 252 MJ; 15% P, 15% F, 70% CHO | ADMR, RMR, ppRMR, PA | no | 17 ± 4 kg | ΔRMR 44 ± 10, ΔppRMR 26 ± 12, ΔPA -40 ± 21% | 56 | yes |
| Ravussin et al. [27] | 5 males normal weight | 9 d outpatients | 160% base 15% P, 39% F, 46% CHO | TEE, BMR, DIT, PA | - | 3.2 ± 0.3 kg | ΔSMR 1.05, ΔBMR 0.62, ΔDIT 0.58 MJ/d | 23 | no |
| Roberts et al. [28] | 7 males normal weight | 21 d outpatients | + 4.2 MJ/d 10% P, 40% F, 50% CHO, 0.2% alcohol | ADMR, RMR, DIT, PA | no | 2.5 ± 3 kg | ΔRMR 0.63 ± 0.20 MJ/d | 36 | no |
| Webb and Annis [21] | 6 males, 6 females normal/overweight | 30 d outpatients | + 4.2 MJ/d high P+F, high CHO or average | TEE | yes | 2.7 kg (average, CHO) 1.8 kg (P+F) | ΔTEE 7.4% | P+F 72 CHO 46 average 47 | yes |
| Zed and James [29] | 16 females normal weight/obese | 6 d metabolic unit | + 4.3 MJ/d entirely F | TEE, SMR, BMR, DIT | - | 1 kg | ΔBMR 9.4% (lean) | 78 (normal weight only) | yes |
ADMR = average daily metabolic rate, BMR = basal metabolic rate, DIT = dietary-induced thermogenesis, CHO = carbohydrate, F = fat, P = protein, NEAT = nonexercise activity thermogenesis (ADMR-BMR-DIT), PA = physical activity, ppRMR = prostprandial resting metabolic rate (RMR+DIT), RMR = resting metabolic rate, SMR = sleeping metabolic rate, TEE = total energy expenditure.
* % macronutrient = energy percentage.
** statistically significant changes only.
*** calculated as mean excess energy intake divided by mean body weight gain (note: see discussion)