VALIDITY OF A NEW PORTABLE INDIRECT CALORIMETER - THE AEROSPORT-TEEM-100

The purpose of this study was to compare oxygen uptake (VO2) values collected with a new portable indirect calorimeter (AeroSport TEEM 100 Metabolic Analysis System) against a more traditional large calorimeter system that has been reported to be valid and reliable (SensorMedics 2900 Metabolic Measurement Cart). Minute ventilations ranging from rest up to heavy exercise were compared with simultaneous measurements from a 120-1 Tissot gasometer. Each of the three TEEM 100 pneumotachs were tested. Three hundred and sixty-one separate ventilation tests were performed using the low-flow, medium-flow, and high-flow heads of the portable calorimeter. For each of the pneumotachs, the correlation between the portable calorimeter values and the gasometer values exceeded r = 0.94, The standard error of estimate for the low-, medium- and high-flow pneumotach were 5.96, 4.89 and 9.0%, respectively, expressed relative to the mean gasometer value. Simultaneous measurements of VO2 using the portable calorimeter and the SensorMedics 2900 unit were compared during rest and at work rates starting at zero watts, increasing by 25 W to 150 W. Each work rate was of 4 min duration. The average of data from minutes 3 and 4 were used in all analyses. There was very close agreement between the two metabolic measurement systems. Except at the 100-W work rate, where the VO2 difference was small (3.9%), yet statistically significant, all of the other differences in VO2 were small and non-significant. The scatter plot of VO2 for the SensorMedics versus the portable AeroSport calorimeter revealed close agreement; the correlation was r = 0.96, (SEE = 3.95%). It was concluded that the AeroSport TEEM 100 portable calorimeter system produces valid data at rest and at low to moderate work rates compared to a criterion, large system.