High-level medium-chain triglyceride feeding and energy expenditure in normal-weight women

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess how short-term feeding of high levels of dietary medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) affect energy expenditure and postprandial substrate oxidation rates in normal-weight, premenopausal women. Eight healthy women were fed both a MCT-rich and an isocaloric long-chain triglyceride (LCT)-rich diet for two 1-week periods separated by a minimum of 21 days. The energy intake in each diet was 45% carbohydrates, 40% fat, and 15% protein. The 2 diets had either 60.81% or 1.11% of total fat energy from MCT with the remaining fat energy intake from LCT. On days 1 and 7 of each diet, resting metabolic rate and postprandial energy expenditure (EE) were measured by indirect calorimetry with a ventilated hood. Results indicated on days 1 and 7, there were no significant differences between diets for resting metabolic rate or mean postprandial EE. On both days 1 and 7, fat oxidation for the MCT-rich diet was significantly greater (0.0001 ≤ p ≤ 0.04) than that for the LCT-rich diet at different time points across the 5.5 h postprandial period. In conclusion, for premenopausal, normal-weight women consuming a diet with 25% of the energy content from MCT, there were no changes in resting metabolic rate, transient increases in postprandial energy expenditure, and significant increases in postprandial fat oxidation.