Final answer:
True, patients with a pathology often work harder at activities with moderate energy requirements (3-5 MET avg) due to altered metabolic rates in conditions like thyroid disorders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that patients with a pathology work harder at activities that don't require a lot of energy input (3-5 MET avg) can be considered true. Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) is a unit that estimates the amount of energy used by the body during physical activity, as compared to resting metabolic rate. A task that has a MET value of 3-5 is considered moderate in intensity. Patients with certain pathologies such as thyroid disorders may exert more effort to accomplish these activities. For instance, Patient A with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) will have decreased metabolism due to lower thyroid hormone levels, making it strenuous to perform even moderate-intensity tasks. On the other hand, Patient B with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) will have increased metabolism, which might slightly mitigate this effect but can also lead to quick fatigue. Moreover, human metabolism is about 20-25% efficient at converting chemical energy from food into mechanical work, and the majority of energy exerted ends up as heat, including activities with moderate MET values.