In our current society it is important to promote physical activity among young children. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately measure the free-living physical activity in a respiration chamber. The equations used in older children and adolescents (age 6 till 18 years) cannot be used in the younger children, due to a difference in resting metabolic rate.
In most cases an accelerometer is used to measure energy expenditure in real life. Through various studies and validations, this is certainly possible in older children. But for younger children, this has yet to be validated. To validate the accelerometer an indirect room calorimeter is used.
In the study five children were included to wear the accelerometer while inside the room calorimeter. To determine the baseline, the kids were instructed to watch TV for half an hour. Subsequently, various activities were carried out in different intensities, from sedentary to vigorous.
A respiration chamber (room calorimeter) is often used for studies in older children and adults, but is considered impractical for younger children. The current study found out that it is doable for young children to complete a short structured protocol in a room calorimeter. It would be an improvement to make the room child friendly and more open for a pleasant stay. It can be concluded that a room calorimeter is a practical method and a reasonable possibility for metabolic research and validation studies in young children.
Maastricht instruments offers The most affordable room calorimeter in the market. Customized to your study needs. Upgradeable towards the future. Designed on a system level out of the highest quaility components, this is the gold standard for energy expenditure studies of any kind; 24-hr energy expenditure, high intensity exercise testing and many more. Validated and applied in 100’s of research studies.