The collapse energy absorption behaviors of filled metal tubes were studied using silica aerogel-liquid mixture as filling material. The crushing force and energy absorption under both quasi-static and dynamic impact loads were analyzed through experiment and computer numerical simulation. On the basis that water infiltration into nanoporous materials can absorb energy, a new energy absorption material based on silica aerogels was featured for this paper. The composed aerogel-liquid systems with three solid-liquid mass ratios of 1:10, 1:20 and 1:40, as well as the silica aerogel-NaCl solution with different salinity of 5%, 12.5%, and 20% were experimentally studied. The pressure-volumetric strain curves of the aerogel liquid systems based on both quasi-static compression and high-speed Hopkinson Bar impact experiments were acquired, and the energy absorption densities were evaluated. Axial crushing mechanical properties of filling tubes with such nanoporous liquid systems were simulated by using validated finite element methodology, and the tube collapse stress-strain curve and buckling shapes of empty and filled tubes were compared. The results demonstrated that aerogel materials with reasonable pore diameters, or by adjusting the solid-liquid mass ratio and the electrolyte - solution ratio, the convincing crush force efficiency can be achieved which exhibits potential engineering usefulness.