Energy Expenditure and Weight Management
The weight-watching bug is something that gets to you sooner or later. A lot of people have problems with their weight. Typically, overweight is considered the more widespread problem, as it may affect the overall well-being of a person and cause many illnesses. This is when Weight Management comes as a logical preventive to gaining too much weight. Effective weight management is exclusively based on the balance of energy intake and energy consumption.
Qwave provides an exact estimation of the total daily energy consumption. This facilitates goal-orientated weight management that reflects the proper ratio of energy intake and energy expenditure. Both Moreover, the effect of exercising on total burning of energy is explored, as well as the distribution of energy sources. Results about Energy Expenditure and Weight Management are presented in separate reports: Energy Expenditure Report and Weight Management Report.
Benefits of Qwave Energy Expenditure monitoring
• Indication of the effects of everyday activities on energy consumption
• Very exact energy consumption (EE) based on the heartbeat rate
• Comprehensive reports:
• Energy Expenditure Report
• Weight Management Report
Energy Expenditure Report
The report provides an analysis of the amount of energy expenditure measured during active physical activity exercise, as well as its distribution depending on the different levels of intensity. It also includes a comparison of physical activity during the measurement with other activities that consume the same amount of energy and an estimation of the 24h energy expenditure.
The reports are suitable for everyone who cares about a healthy way of life and wants to know the exact energy expenditure of his / her body or maybe compare energy intake and energy consumption.
The Energy Expenditure Report offers the following features:
• Energy expenditure chart
• Energy expenditure comparison
• Energy expenditure and health effects
• 24h energy expenditure prediction
• Energy expenditure follow-up
There reports are useful for:
• Comparison of the energy expenditure of different workouts
• Assessment of the daily energy expenditure
• Assessment of the distribution of energy expenditure during the measurement
• Assessment of the distribution of physical activity to different intensity levels
Weight Management Report
This report represents information about the proportions of fat and carbohydrates suitable for you. It specifies the heart rates at which fat expenditure and total energy expenditure reach highest levels. According to the data analyzed, four different diets and the weight changes caused by them are assessed.
The report is suitable for everybody interested in weight management in accordance with energy intake and consumption.
Weight Management Report offers the following features:
• Distribution of energy sources
• Maximal energy expenditure (kcal/min)
• Optimizing fat expenditure
• Energy balance
• Weight change prediction
• Energy balance follow-up
There reports are useful for:
• Comparison of the energy expenditure of different workouts
• Assessment of the daily energy expenditure
• Choosing the most suitable diet
• Determining the optimal training intensity to achieve the appropriate utilization of fat and carbohydrates
• Monitoring of the long-term development of energy balance
Energy Expenditure Estimation Based on Heart Rate Measurement
Energy Expenditure Estimation based on the Heart Rate
• The described energy expenditure (EE) estimation method is based on a scientifically recognized relationship between the cardiorespiratory function and the energy expenditure measured.
• The heart beat based EE-estimation method is definitely more accurate than traditional heart rate level based estimation.
• This accuracy is due to the method’s capability to utilize information on respiration rate and on/off-kinetics of oxygen consumption, as well as information on body‘s metabolism.
• This method is easy to use. No special calibration of individual heart rate levels is required and only the only information needed is the heart beat data and some personal background parameters (e.g. age, height, weight, gender and physical activity level).
• The method can be used in any state of the body, from rest to maximal exertion physical activities. It even allows detailed measurements during dynamically changing conditions, e.g. combined exercises and in-between rests.
• This EE-estimation method can be used as a non-invasive measurement tool for both personal and professional purposes, including weight management, promotion of physical activity and lifestyle assessments, and fitness training.
• The method is also applicable for research purposes to extend EE measurement from laboratory to the field.
Health and Weight Management
Dynamics of modern life bring real challenge to people time and motivation for physical activity. During the last decades it was found that sedentary and inactive lifestyle may lead to serious health-related issues. One of the most popular problems of the kind is gaining overweight.
Nowadays there is no doubt that regular physical activity may have a tremendous positive effect on a person’s health. The assessment of energy expenditure in real life has become increasingly important, since it may help to identify inactive lifestyles and to motivate towards more active lifestyle.
In most cases, Energy Expenditure is often associated with energy intake for weight management purposes. Not only does is energy expenditure key for a healthy lifestyle, but measuring it plays important role in defining the actual relationships between physical activity and health.
Fitness and sports
Energy Expenditure is an important indicator in fitness and athletic training. Athletes and active sports participants, together with their instructors, coaches and personal trainers, can plan their nutrition by utilizing information on expended calories.
If you are into professional sports, then you are likely to be on a strict diet. With many sports, energy intake and Energy Expenditure must be well-controlled for the sake of top results. Bodybuilding is particularly dependent on these parameters with relation to appropriate physical exercising. In any case, measuring EE is an inseparable part of your body shape fitness program.
Qwave allows you to plan your nutrition and assess its actual effect on your body considering physical activity. So you may measure your EE during exercise and rest to have a virtual multidirectional view on the actual responses of your body to your diet and your exercise. Measuring EE allows you to straightforwardly define what proportions of carbs and / or fats you can consume and which exercises have the best effect on your performance. Combine nutrition and physical activity assessment with Qwave.
Science
EE can be measured with different methods, including direct and indirect calorimetry, the so-called water technique, activity diaries and questionnaires, as well as methods that utilize information on heart rate or motion. All methods have some advantages and certain limitations, so selecting the most optimal method depends on the purpose of use.
Heart rate (HR) is probably the most frequently used indirect parameter in EE-assessment, because: it is easy to measure; EE is easily accessible from HR data; HR-based EE-estimates are relatively accurate in steady exercise conditions.
Conventional HR level -based energy expenditure estimation methods also have some limitations, including some or all of the following: certain inconsistencies in HR-EE relationship interpretations (e.g. when exercise intensity changes dynamically); the most accurate HR-level based methods require individual laboratory calibration; most traditional methods are not accurate enough or assume a constant level of EE at low intensity of physical activity; non-metabolic increases in HR that influence the results are not taken into account (e.g. mental and non-exercise related physical stress); metabolic changes in the body due to prolonged physical activity or recovery are not taken into account.
Qwave Technologies has developed an innovative approach to EE estimation based on heart rate information. This method is based on analysis of beat-by-beat heart rate data and is developed to illustrate an accurate EE assessment. One of the main goals of this method was to resolve the problems that cause fluctuation errors in traditional EE-estimates.
Energy Expenditure Estimation Method
The estimation of total energy expenditure is carried out in two stages: At first, oxygen consumption (VO2) is estimated. The second stage includes an estimation of metabolic events in the body. The described energy expenditure estimation model has been constructed using neural network modeling.
VO2 estimation
The energy expenditure estimation method described in this document is based on the VO2 estimation method that is described in detail in the VO2 White Paper. Shortly, in addition to utilizing HR information, the described VO2 estimation method also utilizes information on respiration rate and on/off kinetics of VO2 derived from R-R-intervals (time interval between two consecutive heart beats).
METs (Metabolic Equivalent), multiples of resting metabolic rate are commonly used to represent intensity of physical exercise. VO2 –values is converted to METs by dividing VO2 by a constant value of 3.5. One MET is therefore equal to a VO2 of 3.5 ml/kg/min which is the amount of oxygen the body uses at rest. METs can be used in the described calculation model instead of VO2.
Personal maximal heart rate (HRmax) and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) or maximal METs (METmax) are used in the calculation of momentary VO2. HRmax and VO2max (METmax) can be estimated on the basis of personal background parameters, if the values have not been measured.
Energy expenditure by metabolic events in the body
In the described calculation model, energy expenditure is calculated on the basis of information on VO2 (or METs), respiratory quotient (RQ) and caloric equivalent. RQ describes the ratio between carbon dioxide produced and oxygen consumed in metabolism, varying from 0.70 to 1.00. RQ has a well-established deterministic relationship with caloric equivalent (=thermal equivalent), which describes the amount of energy expended per one liter of consumed oxygen, varying from 4.69 to 5.05 kcal/l O2 (for the relationships between substrate use, RQ and caloric equivalent).
Both physical exercise intensity and duration are parameters that affect RQ and the caloric equivalent. An increase in exercise intensity results in increased RQ and caloric equivalent due to the increased oxidation of carbohydrates and decreased oxidation of fats. Prolonged exercise duration, on the other hand, has an opposite effect due to the increased oxidation of fat and decreased oxidation of carbohydrate.
When momentary VO2 (or METs) and caloric equivalent are known, it is possible to calculate momentary energy expenditure. Total energy expenditure is calculated by summing up the momentary EE-values.
The described EE-estimation estimates only the aerobic component of energy expenditure, which may cause slight underestimation of EE during short-term anaerobic activities lasting from few seconds to a couple of minutes. However, the underestimation is insignificant in measurements lasting longer than 2-3 minutes.
Practical Use of Energy Expenditure Estimation
The described EE-estimation that is based on beat-by-beat measurement of heart can be used in different applied settings and purposes. The method particularly enables a fairly accurate estimation of 24h energy expenditure.
Benefits of Qwave’s Energy Expenditure estimation method
Qwave Energy Expenditure estimation method offers advantages for professional athletes and bodybuilders, as well as health-conscious people that just like to fell well in their bodies:
Sports and Fitness
• Comparison of 24 h energy expenditures profiles from different days
• Setting daily target calories for light physical activity or fitness training
• Observation of actual correlation between EE and physical exercise
• Motivation for a more sports-oriented lifestyle by instant observing of results
• Athletic nutrition planning
Health and Weight management
• Efficient weight management with information on daily energy balance
• Long term weight change prediction based on daily measurements
• Confirming health effects of daily physical activity
• Selection of physical activities that are effective in burning calories
• Extending the use of less sensitive screening methods to more detailed energy expenditure assessments.
Weight management and health monitoring
Are you tired of having a diet that is said to really work but has no effect on your body? Are you working hard to lose those extra kilos and just cannot find the right proportions of proper diets and physical activity that let you achieve real results?
Overweight is a manageable problem now. Thank to Qwave’s innovative method daily energy expenditure can be accurately evaluated using your heart beat. The method was specifically developed to assist in weight management programs, and is especially targeted at with losing weight. It includes information of nutrient consumption (Energy intake) and heart beat to define the accurate Energy Expenditure. Of course, information on the amount of calories consumed is essential in planning an optimal diet. In addition, exercise may be prescribed to contribute to the weight management program. Qwave’s method is comfortable and accurate enough to be used to for long-term weight management.
Not everyone has time and motivation to dedicate extra efforts to physical exercises and extreme diets. Energy expenditure and activity levels can be also evaluated while you live your life normally. Health care professionals can have access to observing full-day activity profiles during everyday life. This is important for defining the positive and negative aspects of the user’s daily life.
Qwave’s method also allows health care professionals to prescribe an optimal amount of exercise to achieve the goals set. Personal feedback may additionally help to increase positive behavior models and decrease negative behavior models.
Fitness and sports
Energy expenditure assessments are very important for evaluating the effects of a chosen physical exercise or series of exercises. This makes it extremely helpful in professional athletic and fitness training. For example, in a bodybuilding training session it is often typical to compare energy expenditure values between different exercises. Having a detailed overview on the effectiveness of your exercises allows preparation of very precise personalized fitness programs in terms of proper physical activities and daily diet, depending on the goals set (e.g. losing fats, gaining muscle mass, etc.)
Qwave allows the instructor (coach) together with the athlete to design the athlete's daily diet considering the total energy expended in daily training and living. There is an important balance between healthy nutrition consumption and a positive-effect training sessions.
This is important since a proper nutritional state supports optimal recovery. But the nutrients to consume must be just enough for proper recovery of the body and not too much so that no unwanted weight is gained. This may be particularly critical for martial sports and other sports with category differences (e.g. boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, weightlifting, etc.).
In addition, this method allows the correct determination of body weight and composition by utilizing the information on daily energy expenditure. Optimize your fitness and physical shape and take advantage of modern technologies to be able to compete with all other contestants.
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