Energy Expenditure Measured Overnight In A Whole-room Indirect Calorimeter In Four Collegiate American-style Football Linemen

Abstract

PURPOSE: Increased adiposity during football playing career increases the prevalence of post-career obesity and poor cardiometabolic health. Lineman are often required to alter body weight to meet performance goals, but validated energy expenditure equations (EE) for athletes with high body weights and high physical activity level are lacking. Furthermore, data regarding resting energy expenditure using the gold standard methodology of whole-room indirect calorimeter (metabolic chambers) is not available. The purpose of this study was to measure EE in collegiate American-style football lineman overnight. METHODS: Participant’s oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production were measured in 1-minute intervals over a 12-hour period in a metabolic chamber. Sleeping energy expenditure (sleep EE) was defined as the average EE during the periods between 0000 and 0500 hours. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was defined as period after waking between 0600 and 0700 hours with the participant remaining still. Measured sleep EE and RMR were compared to values obtained from predication equations established by Ravussin et al (1986) to estimate RMR and sleep EE using anthropometric data. RESULTS: Participants (n=4) were young (19.5 ± 1.0 years old) males with a mean weight of 161.1 ± 10.2 kg with 32 ± 4% body fat. Anthropometric predicted RMR (3260 ± 132 kcal/day) over-estimated RMR by 419 ± 161 kcal/day (14%) when compared to measured RMR (2841 ± 154 kcal/day, P=0.01). However, estimated sleep EE, predicted by Ravussin et al. (1986) (2312± 41 kcal/day) was under-estimated by 13% when compared to measured sleep EE (2760 ± 348 kcal/day, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Prediction equations to estimate RMR and sleep EE can over-predict or under-predict, respectively, actual EE in American-football lineman. Studies with a larger number of participants are required to develop better prediction equations for young athletes with high fat mass and high levels of physical activity.