Energy expenditure of household activities and cardiorespiratory fitness in women with obesity.

Abstract

SummaryPatients with obesity experience difficulties in executing household activities. Our purpose was to compare the energy expenditure and exercise intensity of daily household activities and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in women with obesity and normal weight women. Twenty‐eight non‐obese women (NO, 44.6 ± 7.2 years; body mass index [BMI] 22.1 ± 1.7 kg m−2) and 20 women with obesity (OB, 44.0 ± 7.7 years; BMI 33.4 ± 2.7 kg.m−2). Peak oxygen uptake (⩒O2peak), maximal heart rate (HR) and maximal cycling power output were measured during a maximal incremental cycling test to assess CRF. Oxygen uptake (⩒O2) used to assess CRF was measured during a standardized protocol that included ironing, cleaning floor and walking and climbing stairs. The intensity of the three household activities was expressed by the ratio between ⩒O2 during household activity (⩒O2‐activity) and resting ⩒O2, and between ⩒O2 during household activity and ⩒O2peak. ⩒O2 peak was higher in OB (1845.2 ± 290.5 mL min−1) than in NO women (1612.6 ± 250.9 mL min−1, P < 0.01). There were no significant differences for the ratio between ⩒O2‐activity and resting ⩒O2 between NO and OB women for any of the three household activities. No differences were observed either between the two groups for the ratio of ⩒O2‐activity to ⩒O2peak. In healthy women with obesity and normal CRF, physical activity (PA) may not be affected by energy need and intensity of household activities. In this way, these women can be motivated to maintain a high PA level contributing to lessen the cardiovascular risk.