Estimated Energy Requirement: Comparison Between the 2005 and 2023 Dietary Reference Intakes in Sedentary Adults and Older Adults—A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Equations for estimating energy expenditure are developed for specific populations and contexts, including clinical settings, body composition variations, and age groups, to enhance precision in nutritional planning and health promotion. Objective: To compare the estimated daily energy requirements using the equations from the 2005 and 2023 Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy in sedentary adults and elderly individuals. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study analyzed data from records at a university outpatient clinic using convenience sampling. Participants included sedentary individuals aged 20 years or older of both sexes. The comparison was conducted using repeated measures Analysis of Variance (rmANOVA). Results: Data from 431 individuals (80% female, mean age 43.57 ± 17.30 years) were analyzed. The 2023 equations provided higher energy estimates compared to the 2005 equations. The rmANOVA revealed a significant difference between the energy estimates (F(1, 429) = 1567.24, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.02), with the 2023 equations consistently yielding higher values. Conclusions: The results indicate that the estimated energy requirements significantly increased in the 2023 equations compared with those of 2005, highlighting their relevance to clinical practice.