A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shown that physical activity increases the body's total energy expenditure without the body decreasing its expenditure elsewhere.Researchers from Virginia Tech, the University of Aberdeen, and Shenzhen University measured the total energy expenditure of 75 participants aged 19 to 63 years with varying activity levels from inactive to ultra-endurance runners.1 They found that higher physical activity leads to higher calorie burn, regardless of body composition.[Basic functions such as respiration, circulation, and temperature regulation required the same amount of energy even with increased activity.Thus, the body does not compensate for the extra calories burned by movement by reducing expenditure elsewhere.1 Lead author Kevin Davy reported that higher activity is associated with higher calorie burn without compensating elsewhere.[1] Lead author Kristen Howard pointed out that the study focused on people with adequate food intake, where compensation may not apply in extreme conditions with malnutrition.Thus, physical activity does increase daily energy expenditure[1].