Comparative study of total energy expenditure in Japanese men using doubly labeled water method against activity record, heart rate monitoring, and accelerometer methods

The purpose of this study was to examine total energy expenditure (TEE) in Japanese men under free-living conditions using various field methods, and compare these methods with the doubly labeled water method (DLW). Ten Japanese men, aged 24.2+/-1.8 (mean+/-SD) yrs, were studied for 14 consecutive days. TEE was assessed by DLW, activity record method (AR; using relative metabolic rate and calculated basal metabolic rate), heart rate monitoring methods (Two-line and FLEX-HR methods). and accelerometer method (AC). Energy intake (EI) was also evaluated over the same period. Although TEE estimated by AR (2730+/-139 kcal-day(-1)), Two-line (2925+/-433 kcal-day(-1)), and FLEX-HR (2949+/-50G kcal-day(-1)) did not differ significantly from the TEE determined by DLW (2910+/-524 kcal- day(-1)), there was no significant relationship between each of these methods and DLW. In addition, El (2963+/-482 kcal-day(-1)) and TEE determined by DLW were similar, and there was a significant correlation (r=0.809, P<0.01). Compared with DLW, AC (2697+/-541 kcal-day(-1)) underestimated TEE at the group level; however, AC was the only method to show a significant correlation with DLW (r=0.871, P<0.001). Therefore, it seems possible that AC would accurately estimate TEE at the individual level by improving both the instrument and its methodology.