Comparison of Estimating Energy Expenditures using Caltrac and Three Aerobic Field Tests

Abstract

0217 PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study was to examine energy expenditure between accelerometry and two types of field estimation of VO2max (weight-bearing and non weight-bearing) from the Rockport 1 Mile Walk Test, 1.5 Mile Run-Walk Test and The Astrand-Rhyming Ergometer Test. METHODS: A sample of (N = 44) male and female undergraduate students participated in this study. Each subject wore a Caltrac Accelerometer and a Polar Pacer Heart Rate Monitor for each field test. Maximum oxygen consumption was estimated per the protocol of each test. Caloric expenditure was estimated via indirect calorimetry, by the estimated VO2, and compared to accelerometry data. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics revealed that males and females VO2max on the three field tests were: 46.6, 43.8, 57.5 ml/kg/min and 46.4, 37.7, 46.4 ml/kg/min respectively significant correlations were found between the estimation of caloric expenditure via accelerometry, and the Rockport 1-Mile Walk and the 1.5 Mile Run-Walk Tests (r = .532; r = .596 p<.05) when the entire sample was examined. Examination of the data by gender revealed significant results for males (r = .403; r = .584 p<.05) and females (r = .726; r = .606 p<.05). Additionally, field estimations of VO2max between the Rockport 1-Mile Walk and the 1.5 Mile Run- Walk Tests were observed (r = .467 p< .05). No relationships were found between the weight-bearing field tests (Rockport & 1.5 Mile Run-Walk) and the Astrand-Rhyming Ergometer Test. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that caloric estimation via accelerometry correlates higher with weight-bearing field tests for VO2 than with non weight-bearing tests. These findings are consistent with previous literature citing complication with using a Caltrac accelerometer to measure caloric expenditure in cycling activities. In addition, gender results suggest differences in these two types of weight-bearing field tests.