Validation of a field technique for the measurement of energy expenditure: factorial method versus continuous respirometry

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 596 - 602
• Main Authors: Geissler, CA, Dzumbira, TMO, Noor, MI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.11.1986; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: ADU; Adult; ANALISIS ESTADISTICO; ANALYSE STATISTIQUE; Biological and medical sciences; Calorimetry - instrumentation; Calorimetry, Indirect - instrumentation; ENERGIA; ENERGIE; energy cost; Energy expenditure; Energy Metabolism; Environment, Controlled; ESSAI; factorial method; Female; field method; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Intermediate and energetic metabolism; Male; MEDICION; MESURE; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; METHODE; METODOS; NUTRICION; NUTRITION; OSPHYSIOLOGIE; Physical Exertion; PRUEBAS; r)FISIOLOGIA; RESPIRACION; RESPIRATION; respirometer; sleep; Sleep - physiology; SOMMEIL; Space life sciences; SUENO; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; sleep; Energy expenditure; factorial method; energy cost; respirometer; field method; Human; Measurement; Energy metabolism; Sleep; Energetic cost; Respirometry; Sexual dimorphism; Method
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/44.5.596

The field technique for measuring daily energy expenditure, using activity diary plus short-term indirect calorimetry, was validated with a room respirometer. Eleven male and 14 female subjects spent 24-h periods in the respirometer and kept an activity diary to the nearest minute. Subsequently, the energy cost of the recorded activities was measured in duplicate, and 24-h expenditure was calculated. Over the 42 24-h measurements the mean value by the factorial field method was within 1% of that from continuous indirect calorimetry. However, the error in individual daily expenditure ranged from −17% to +25%. Correction of the error involved in using calculated BMR for the cost of sleeping resulted in a 5% mean underestimation of the daily value. The factorial method is, therefore, too inaccurate for the estimation of individual daily expenditures but provides a close estimate of the true energy expenditure for population groups.