Methods and applicability of activity energy expenditure in the assessment of children: Review of the literature

Abstract

Study Design: Literature review. Children with chronic morbidities, progressive and / or functional disabilities are less active than healthy children. The metabolic changes that affect them favour increased energy expenditure (EE). The assessment of energy expenditure activity (EEA) provides specific details of the movement efficiency, and provides resources for establishing a therapeutic protocol.The gold standard for assessment of EEA by maximum oxygen uptake (VO2) is limited in a clinical routine by the complexity of data acquisition and its high charge value. Thus, predictive equations based on the linear relationship between heart rate (HR) and VO2 have been appointed as simple alternatives and easy to perform. However, there is no consensus about the best method to obtain the variables that compose these equations. Then, the aim of this study was to review the methods used to assess the EEA based on HR, pointing out the advantages and disadvantages in order to guide the clinical practice. In this review, 15 studies were analyzed considering (a) different types of route: tests performed on soil and mats; (b) speed: comfortable, self-selected and selected by the researchers; (c) predictive equations and variables analyzed: HR, time, distance traveled; (d) sample group: children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and / or healthy. In general, the EEA, estimated by the energy expenditure index (EEI), was prevalent among these studies and its use has been reported as practical and reliable. Nevertheless, some methodological parameters could be improved in future studies