The role of indirect calorimetry in assessing of resting metabolic rate in obese children

Abstract

Basal metabolism accounts for more than half of daily energy expenditure and characterizes energy expenditure necessary to maintain the vital body functions at rest. The lean body mass makes the greatest contribution to the formation of basal metabolism. The «gold standard» for assessing basal metabolism is indirect respiratory calorimetry. This technique also evaluates, apart from basal metabolism, the rate of macronutrient oxidation, which is an important component of a personalized diet. In clinical practice, formulas for calculating basal metabolism are widely used, but their accuracy in children should be verified. Indirect calorimetry is characterized by a high variability of the measured parameters, which is related to the experimental peculiarities. This review briefly describes the main techniques for assessing basal metabolism and the methodology of indirect respiratory calorimetry in adults and its use in the child population. Also, we provide the literature data on the accuracy of assessing basal metabolism in obese children based on the most commonly used calculation formulas. Investigation of the energy metabolism features is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of obesity pathogenesis and develop new techniques for its prevention and treatment.