Studies reported here examined the extent to which conditions known to suppress or markedly increase the sympathetic control of thermogenesis influence enhanced efficiency of fat deposition during weight recovery after caloric restriction. To this end, measurements of energy balance and changes in body energy compartments during refeeding of rats pair fed with weight-matched controls were conducted over a 2-wk period at 22 degrees C, at thermoneutrality (29 degrees C), or in the cold (6 degrees C). The results indicate that, despite identical (or slightly lower) energy intake relative to the respective controls, the refed animals showed greater gain in body fat (by 2- to 2.5-fold), 10-12% lower energy expenditure, and higher energetic efficiency (60-80%) than the controls at all three environmental temperatures. In contrast, protein gain was not different between the refed and control groups. Thus the energy-conserving mechanism specific to acceleration of fat deposition during weight recovery persists when sympathetically driven thermogenesis is shifted from very low to very high intensity. These findings raise the possibility that this energy-conserving mechanism during refeeding may be distinct from sympathetic-dependent mechanisms underlying adaptive reduction in thermogenesis during severe energy deficit and weight loss.