Effect of 2-year caloric restriction on organ and tissue size in nonobese 21- to 50-year-old adults in a randomized clinical trial: the CALERIE study

Jun 23, 2021The American journal of clinical nutrition

Two-year calorie restriction and its impact on organ and tissue size in healthy adults aged 21 to 50

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Abstract

After 24 months of calorie restriction, participants lost 68.4% of subcutaneous fat tissue.

Calorie restriction resulted in greater losses of both fat and lean tissue compared to ad libitum eating.
The composition of total tissue volume at baseline was primarily subcutaneous fat (32.1%) followed by visceral (1.9%) and intermuscular fat (1.0%).
The loss of muscle tissue in the calorie restriction group accounted for only 17.2% of the total tissue loss over 24 months.
Changes in organ volumes, including brain, liver, spleen, and kidneys, were similar between the calorie restriction and ad libitum groups.
The extent of calorie restriction significantly influenced reductions in visceral fat, intermuscular fat, muscle, and liver volume.

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BACKGROUND: Sustained calorie restriction (CR) promises to extend the lifespan. The effect of CR on changes in body mass across tissues and organs is unclear.

OBJECTIVES: We used whole-body MRI to evaluate the effect of 2 y of CR on changes in body composition.

METHODS: In an ancillary study of the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) trial, 43 healthy adults [25-50 y; BMI (kg/m2): 22-28] randomly assigned to 25% CR (n = 28) or ad libitum (AL) eating (n = 15) underwent whole-body MRI at baseline and month 24 to measure adipose tissue in subcutaneous, visceral, and intermuscular depots (SAT, VAT, and IMAT, respectively); skeletal muscle; and organs including brain, liver, spleen, and kidneys but not heart.

RESULTS: The CR group lost more adipose tissue and lean tissue than controls (P < 0.05). In the CR group, at baseline, total tissue volume comprised 32.1%, 1.9%, and 1.0% of SAT, VAT, and IMAT, respectively. The loss of total tissue volume over 24 mo comprised 68.4%, 7.4%, and 2.2% of SAT, VAT, and IMAT, respectively, demonstrating preferential loss of fat vs. lean tissue. Although there is more muscle loss in CR than AL (P < 0.05), the loss of muscle over 24 mo in the CR group comprised only 17.2% of the loss of total tissue volume. Changes in organ volumes were not different between CR and AL. The degree of CR (% decrease in energy intake vs. baseline) significantly (P < 0.05) affected changes in VAT, IMAT, muscle, and liver volume (standardized regression coefficient ± standard error of estimates: 0.43 ± 0.15 L, 0.40 ± 0.19 L, 0.55 ± 0.17 L, and 0.45 ± 0.18 L, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-four months of CR (intended, 25%; actual, 13.7%) in young individuals without obesity had effects on body composition, including a preferential loss of adipose tissue, especially VAT, over the loss of muscle and organ tissue. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02695511.

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Effect of 2-year caloric restriction on organ and tissue size in nonobese 21- to 50-year-old adults in a randomized clinical trial: the CALERIE study

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