Combined heart rate and activity improve estimates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production rates

Moon, Jon K., and Nancy F. Butte. Combined heart rate and activity improve estimates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production rates. J. Appl. Physiol.81(4): 1754–1761, 1996.—Oxygen consumption (V˙o 2) and carbon dioxide production (V˙co 2) rates were measured by electronically recording heart rate (HR) and physical activity (PA). Mean daily V˙o 2 andV˙co 2 measurements by HR and PA were validated in adults ( n = 10 women and 10 men) with room calorimeters. Thirteen linear and nonlinear functions of HR alone and HR combined with PA were tested as models of 24-h V˙o 2 andV˙co 2. Mean sleepV˙o 2 andV˙co 2 were similar to basal metabolic rates and were accurately estimated from HR alone [respective mean errors were −0.2 ± 0.8 (SD) and −0.4 ± 0.6%]. The range of prediction errors for 24-h V˙o 2 andV˙co 2 was smallest for a model that used PA to assign HR for each minute to separate active and inactive curves (V˙o 2, −3.3 ± 3.5%; V˙co 2, −4.6 ± 3%). There were no significant correlations betweenV˙o 2 orV˙co 2 errors and subject age, weight, fat mass, ratio of daily to basal energy expenditure rate, or fitness. V˙o 2,V˙co 2, and energy expenditure recorded for 3 free-living days were 5.6 ± 0.9 ml ⋅ min−1 ⋅ kg−1, 4.7 ± 0.8 ml ⋅ min−1 ⋅ kg−1, and 7.8 ± 1.6 kJ/min, respectively. Combined HR and PA measured 24-h V˙o 2 andV˙co 2 with a precision similar to alternative methods.