Researchers in Australia have estimated that the woman herself provides 96 percent of the energy required for pregnancy, much higher than previously expected. This information was published in the journal Science, with researchers estimating that pregnancy requires about 50,000 kilocalories of energy.
Previous estimates of energy consumption during pregnancy were lower because researchers believed that energy related to reproduction was stored in the fetus. However, they discovered that only four percent of the energy consumed during pregnancy is stored in the baby’s tissues, with the remaining 96 percent being additional energy needed by the woman’s own body.
A study led by Monash University’s Ph.D. Dustin Marshall evaluated the energy requirements for reproduction in 81 species. The results showed that an animal’s size and metabolism determine its energy requirement. Warm-blooded mammals, for example, need three times more energy than reptiles.
Marshall suggests that these results may help explain why mammal mothers take great care of their offspring even after they are born. This research provides valuable insights into the energy demands of pregnancy and reproduction across different species.
