Effect of ethanol on energy expenditure.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Within-subject controlled crossover physiological study (randomization not specified)
PubMed 8184963 · doi:10.1152/ajpregu.1994.266.4.R1204
What was done
Six healthy nonalcoholic subjects underwent indirect calorimetry under two distinct experimental protocols. In a 24-hour respiration chamber protocol, subjects consumed a normal diet supplemented with 95.6 ± 1.8 g ethanol partitioned across three meals, compared with an identical control day without ethanol. In a fasting protocol, subjects ingested 31.9 ± 0.6 g ethanol, and energy expenditure was monitored over 5 hours using a ventilated hood system.
What was found
Adding ethanol to meals increased 24-hour energy expenditure by 5.5 ± 1.2% over control, corresponding to an ethanol-induced thermogenesis of 22.5 ± 4.7% of ingested ethanol energy. In the fasting state, ethanol increased energy expenditure by 7.4 ± 0.6% over baseline, with ethanol-induced thermogenesis accounting for 17.1 ± 2.2% of ingested ethanol energy.
Why it matters
These findings indicate that approximately 20% of ethanol energy is dissipated as heat, leaving only about 80% as metabolizable energy for biochemical processes in healthy moderate drinkers.
Limits
The sample size was very small (n = 6), and subject characteristics like sex and age were not reported in the abstract. Randomization of study days was not specified, and acute laboratory findings in healthy moderate drinkers may not generalize to chronic high intake or populations with metabolic disorders.
Cited by
- supports Ingesting alcohol increases human whole-body energy expenditure during metabolic chamber testing.