Comparison of calorimetry and the doubly labelled water technique for the measurement of energy expenditure in Equidae

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Fuller ◽  
C. A. Maltin ◽  
E. Milne ◽  
G.S. Mollison ◽  
J. E. Cox ◽  
...  

AbstractEvaluations of the energy requirements of working animals have been confounded by the constraints of indirect calorimetric techniques (Cal). This study sought to investigate a non-restrictive methodology, the doubly labelled water (DLW; 2H218O) technique, for the measurement of energy expenditure in free ranging equids. Six pony geldings were intravenously injected with DLW in two sequential studies that permitted first, isotope equilibration and half-lives to be determined and then second, heat production (HP) to be measured simultaneously by DLW and traditional (Cal) techniques.In study 1, three animals were injected with DLW, three animals were untreated controls. Blood samples were collected every 30 min for 12 h and thereafter at 24 h intervals for 14 days. Isotopes equilibrated throughout the body water pool within 300 (2H) and 240 (18O) min and half-lives were 6.3 ± 0.6 days (2H) and 5.6 ± 0.4 days (18O).In study 2, HP was simultaneously determined by Cal and DLW over a 4-day period. Animals (no. = 6) were assigned to pairs and in successive weeks two ponies were injected with DLW and confined to metabolism chambers 12 h later. Cal HP was 0.51 ± 0.02 MJ/kg M0.75 per day compared with 0.48 ± 0.29 MJ/kg M0.75 per day estimated by DLW. Maintenance metabolizable energy intake was 0.53 ± 0.01 MJ/kg M0.75 per day (Cal) and 0.50 ± 0.01 MJ/kg M0.75 per day (DLW). Validation of the DLW technique may empower essential, systematic appraisal of energy requirements in unrestrained working horses.

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Parker ◽  
Michael P. Gillingham ◽  
Thomas A. Hanley ◽  
Charles T. Robbins

Foraging efficiency (metabolizable energy intake/energy expenditure when foraging) was determined over a 2-year period in nine free-ranging Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) in Alaska, and related to foraging-bout duration, distances travelled, and average speeds of travel. We calculated the energy-intake component from seasonal dry matter and energy content, dry matter digestibility, and a metabolizable energy coefficient for each plant species ingested. We estimated energy expenditures when foraging as the sum of energy costs of standing, horizontal and vertical locomotion, sinking depths in snow, and supplementary expenditures associated with temperatures outside thermoneutrality. Energy intake per minute averaged 4.0 times more in summer than winter; energy expenditure was 1.2 times greater in summer. Animals obtained higher amounts of metabolizable energy with higher amounts of energy invested. Energy intake during foraging bouts in summer was 2.5 times the energy invested; in contrast, energy intake during winter was only 0.7 times the energy expended. Changes in body mass of deer throughout the year increased asymptotically with foraging efficiency, driven primarily by the rate of metabolizable energy intake. Within a season, summer intake rates and winter rates of energy expediture had the greatest effects on the relation between foraging efficiency and mass status. Seasonal changes in foraging efficiency result in seasonal cycles in body mass and condition in black-tailed deer. Body reserves accumulated during summer, however, are essential for over-winter survival of north-temperate ungulates because energy demands cannot be met by foraging alone.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Pratt Phillips ◽  
J. Kutzner-Mulligan ◽  
M. Davis

Improvised explosive device detection (IDD) dogs explore up to 40 km of land daily and therefore have energetic demands that may be above the National Research Council’s requirement for working dogs. This study was designed to quantify metabolic energy intake (MEI) and total energy expenditure (TEE) in a group of IDD dogs. Two groups of dogs that had undergone different training protocols (CP1, n=8 and CP2, n=11) underwent a 5-day deployment simulation that consisted of combined road clearing, orbit and point-to-point activities and lasted approximately 9 h per day. The CP1 dogs were fed according to the IDD Marine Corps Manual, while CP2 dogs were offered additional calories based on pilot study data of energy expenditure. The MEI was calculated based on feed intake rates and chemical composition of the diets. TEE was quantified using the doubly-labelled water technique in 2 of the CP1 dogs and 7 of the CP2 dogs. During the 5-day deployment simulation the MEI ranged from 189-310 kcal/bodyweight (BW)0.75 per day, with the CP2 dogs at the higher end because they were offered more feed. The TEE ranged between 375-507 kcal/BW0.75 per day, above the MEI, suggesting the dogs were in negative energy balance and metabolic reserves within the body were combusted for energy production. These findings reveal that energy requirements of deployed military working dogs are higher than previously published metabolic energy requirements of working dogs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-76
Author(s):  
Debbye Chávez ◽  
Julio Villacres Matías

El presente estudio guarda estrecha relación con la alimentación de caprinos, las ganancias de peso y su producción; sabiendo que, para que un animal logre buenos rendimientos productivos se hace necesaria una alimentación que cubra necesidades energéticas de mantenimiento, luego de crecimiento y ganancia de peso o de producción; se determinó el recorrido en unidades de desplazamiento; luego, por medio de fórmulas de medición energética trasformar esto a energía metabolizable que es una unidad fácilmente relacionable con las necesidades energéticas de mantenimiento y de producción, siendo 60 cabras de diferentes razas las que se consideraron en este estudio, donde se registró su peso, y edad antes de que formen parte del ensayo. Con la ayuda de podómetros calibrados para usarlos en cabras, se determinó el recorrido habitual. Los podómetros fueron colocados en uno de sus miembros posteriores a la altura de la rodilla, y retirados 24h después, registrando su desplazamiento y actividades en busca del alimento. Utilizando Excel se procedió a la tabulación y organización de los datos, que fueron sometidos a estadística descriptiva y análisis de la información, como resultado se evidenció 5Km de recorridos por animal, con edades entre 2,5 años de promedios, de igual forma las razas de cabras más frecuentes fueron, en primer lugar la Criolla y en segundo la Nubia; ambas razas de animales no se diferenciaron en el recorrido y peso, lo que permitió utilizar una forma universal de estimación del gasto energético (0,49 kcal/kg /km) pudiéndose determinar que fueron 87,69Kcal involucradas en 24h de actividad. ABSTRACT This study is closely related to feeding goats, weight gain and production; knowing that, for an animal to achieve good production yields a feed that covers maintenance energy requirements is necessary , after growth and weight gain or production a route was determined in units of displacement; then by using formulas of energetic measurement transform these to metabolizable energy which is a easily relatable unit with the energetic requirements of maintenance and production, 60 goats from different races were considered in this study, in which their weight and ages were recorded before forming part of the test. With the help of pedometers calibrated for use in goats, the usual route is determined. Pedometers were placed in one of his post-kneemembers, and retired after 24h, recording their movement and activities in search of food. Using Excel proceeded to the tabulation and organization of data, which were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of information, as a result of tours 5Km animal showed, aged 2.5 years average, similarly races more frequent goats were first Creole and secondly the Nubia; both breeds of animals did not differ in the way and weight, enabling use a universal way to estimate energy expenditure (0.49 kcal / kg / km) being able to determine which were involved in 24h 87,69Kcal activity.


Biology Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. bio.055475
Author(s):  
G. J. Sutton ◽  
J. A. Botha ◽  
J. R. Speakman ◽  
J. P. Y. Arnould

Understanding energy use is central to understanding an animal's physiological and behavioural ecology. However, directly measuring energy expenditure in free-ranging animals is inherently difficult. The doubly-labelled water (DLW) method is widely used to investigate energy expenditure in a range of taxa. Although reliable, DLW data collection and analysis is both financially costly and time consuming. Dynamic body acceleration (e.g. VeDBA) calculated from animal-borne accelerometers has been used to determine behavioural patterns, and is increasingly being used as a proxy for energy expenditure. Still its performance as a proxy for energy expenditure in free-ranging animals is not well established and requires validation against established methods. In the present study, the relationship between VeDBA and the at-sea metabolic rate calculated from DLW was investigated in little penguins (Eudyptula minor) using three approaches. Both in a simple correlation and activity-specific approaches were shown to be good predictors of at-sea metabolic rate. The third approach using activity-specific energy expenditure values obtained from literature did not accurately calculate the energy expended by individuals. However, all three approaches were significantly strengthened by the addition of mean horizontal travel speed. These results provide validation for the use of accelerometry as a proxy for energy expenditure and show how energy expenditure may be influenced by both individual behaviour and environmental conditions.


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 994-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. H. Jones

The comparative effects of feeding diets containing corn, olive, coconut, or menhaden fish oil on efficiency of energy deposition and on short term energy expenditure were examined in growing hamsters. Diets comprising oils mixed with laboratory diets at 10% oil w/w were fed ad libitum for 3 weeks. Animals fed laboratory diets were used as controls. Body composition was determined before and after the feeding period using 3H2O distribution space. Oxygen consumption was measured in each animal during the final week. Weight gains of groups fed corn and olive oil diets exceeded those of the group fed laboratory diet alone (p < 0.05), although metabolizable energy intakes were similar across groups. Corn oil fed animals demonstrated higher carcass energy gains as fat compared with laboratory diet fed or menhaden oil fed groups. This was reflected in an increased fractional deposition of metabolizable energy intake in the group fed corn oil diet compared with the latter two groups. Fecal energy losses were lower in the group fed corn oil diet, and higher in the group fed laboratory diet alone, compared with other groups. Oxygen consumption did not differ between groups. These findings indicate that feeding dietary fish oil, compared with corn oil, favours energy substrate oxidation reducing the fraction of metabolizable energy partitioned for storage.Key words: energy balance, energy expenditure, dietary fatty acids, hamster.


2002 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. ALLAN DEGEN ◽  
B. A. YOUNG

Body mass was measured and body composition and energy requirements were estimated in sheep at four air temperatures (0 °C to 30 °C) and at four levels of energy offered (4715 to 11785 kJ/day) at a time when the sheep reached a constant body mass. Final body mass was affected mainly by metabolizable energy intake and, to a lesser extent, by air temperature, whereas maintenance requirements were affected mainly by air temperature. Mean energy requirements were similar and lowest at 20 °C and 30 °C (407·5 and 410·5 kJ/kg0·75, respectively) and increased with a decrease in air temperature (528·8 kJ/kg0·75 at 10 °C and 713·3 kJ/kg0·75 at 0 °C). Absolute total body water volume was related positively to metabolizable energy intake and to air temperature. Absolute fat, protein and ash contents were all affected positively by metabolizable energy intake and tended to be related positively to air temperature. In proportion to body mass, total body water volume decreased with an increase in metabolizable energy intake and with an increase in air temperature. Proportionate fat content increased with an increase in metabolizable energy intake and tended to increase with an increase in air temperature. In contrast, proportionate protein content decreased with an increase in metabolizable energy intake and tended to decrease with an increase in air temperature. In all cases, the multiple linear regression using both air temperature and metabolizable energy intake improved the fit over the simple linear regressions of either air temperature or metabolizable energy intake and lowered the standard error of the estimate. The fit was further improved and the standard error of the estimate was further lowered using a polynomial model with both independent variables to fit the data, since there was little change in the measurements between 20 °C and 30 °C, as both air temperatures were most likely within the thermal neutral zone of the sheep. It was concluded that total body energy content, total body water volume, fat and protein content of sheep of the same body mass differed or tended to differ when kept at different air temperatures.


1990 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 591 ◽  
Author(s):  
KA Nagy ◽  
GD Sanson ◽  
NK Jacobsen

Field metabolic rates (FMRs) and water influx rates were measured via the doubly labelled water method in wild Tasmanian pademelons and grey kangaroos living in the Jock Marshall Reserve at Clayton, Victoria, and in wild black-tailed deer free-ranging within a nature reserve at Davis, California. Deer expended more than 3 times more energy per day than similar sized grey kangaroos. Feeding rates required to achieve energy balance were estimated from FMRs along with an estimate of metabolizable energy content of the food. The estimated feeding rates for pademelons and kangaroos were combined with similar values for 5 other species of macropods to calculate an allometric (scaling) relationship for food requirements of macropod marsupials. Feeding rate had the following relationship to body mass: g food (DM) consumed per day = 0.20 g body mass0.79 (r2 = 0.94). The findings reported herein should be useful for predicting the approximate food requirements of free-ranging macropods and deer for purposes of ecological modelling, conservation efforts and management programmes.


Author(s):  
Khaled Abouelezz ◽  
Yibing Wang ◽  
Weiwei Wang ◽  
Xiajing Lin ◽  
Long Li ◽  
...  

A dose-response study was conducted to investigate the metabolizable energy (ME) requirement for Lingnan chickens from 57 to 105 days of age. 1200 57-d-old slow-growing yellow-feathered male chickens were allotted to five dietary ME levels (2,805, 2,897, 2,997, 3,095 and 3,236 kcal/kg). The 2,997 kcal/kg treatment was considered to be the control level. The results revealed that the daily metabolizable energy intake increased (P &lt; 0.01), whereas the feed intake and feed: gain ratio decreased linearly (P &lt; 0.01) with the increment in dietary ME level. The final body weight and daily gain of the highest ME treatment tended (P &gt; 0.05) to be greater than those obtained with the lower ME levels. The fat content in breast muscle showed a quadratic response (P &lt; 0.05) to the increase of dietary energy level. The shear force values of breast muscle in the 2,897, 3,095 and 3,236 kcal/kg treatments were lower (P &lt; 0.05) than that of the control. Other results were obtained regarding the body composition, meat quality, and plasma metabolites. In conclusion, the dietary ME level 3,236 kcal/kg can be recommended as the optimal ME requirement for slow-growing yellow-feathered male chickens between 57 and 105 d of age.


1995 ◽  
Vol 350 (1332) ◽  
pp. 119-131 ◽  

As heart rate ( f H ) can be used to determine the energy expenditure of black-browed albatrosses ( Diomedea melanophrys ) (Bevan et al. 1994), data loggers - recording f H and abdominal temperature ( T ab ) -were implanted into free-ranging black-browed albatrosses breeding at South Georgia. Five birds also had salt water switches (sws) attached to one leg to record when the birds were on the water, and two others had satellite transmitters attached to their back to determine the birds’ position at sea. The birds were released into their natural environment and recaptured, on average, 23 days later when the data loggers were removed. The f H data were then converted into estimates of energy expenditure (ee) using a previously derived equation. The mean EE during incubation and brooding were 2.22 and 2.42 W kg -1 , respectively. When the birds were foraging at sea, EE increased to between 4.63 and 5.80 W kg -1 , depending on the phase of the reproductive cycle. As the birds spent approximately the same length of time at the nest and at sea during incubation and brooding, the overall mean ee during these phases were 3.63 and 3.54 W kg -1 respectively. These rates are significantly lower than that during the chick-rearing phase when a high level of foraging EE is maintained almost continuously. By combining information from the sws with the f H data, it was possible to determine the EE of the birds when on the water (5.77 W kg -1 ) and when flying (6.21 W kg -1 ). These values are approximately twice the estimated basal metabolic rate (BMR) for the species. The energy costs of flight are half previous values, estimated using the doubly labelled water technique, because of the previous assumption that birds on the water have an EE equivalent to BMR. When the birds were on the nest, T ab was 39.3 + 0.4 °C and this changed very little with time. However, when they were at sea, T ab showed large variations, depending on the behaviour of the bird. Information from the sws indicated that all large drops (> 0.5 °C) in Tab occurred when the birds were on water. The mean minimum value reached was 32.5 + 2.0 °C. It is likely that ingestion of prey or water are the major causes of this decrease. This is the first study to have used f H extensively to determine the EE of a free-ranging marine bird. The advantages of using this technique are that data can be obtained over long durations with high resolution, permitting the EE of different activities to be estimated.


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