ABSTRACT
Although Segal et al. (22) did not study EPOC directly, they did study the postprandial thermogenesis in the obese compared to the lean at rest, during exercise, and postexercise. Eight lean men (10 ± 1% body fat) and eight obese men (30 ± 2% body fat) exercised for 30 min on a cycle ergometer at their ventilatory threshold (borderline anaerobiosis). Results showed that the 3-hr thermic effect of food was significantly higher for the lean than the obese men during rest (44 ± 7 vs. 28 ± 4 kcal, 184 ± 29 vs. 117 ± 17 kJ), during exercise (19 ± 3 vs. 6 ± 3 kcal, 79 ± 13 vs. 25 ± 12 kJ), and postexercise (44 ± 7 vs. 16 ± 5 kcal, 184 ± 29 vs. 67 ± 21 kJ). Even though the EPOC measurements in this study were confounded with diet-induced thermogenesis, the data showed obese men to have lower metabolic rates postexercise than the lean men.
