Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
Assessment of Physical Activity Intensity with Accelerometers and Oxygen Consumption
Published on: June 20, 2025
Physical activity monitor for recording energy expenditure in pregnancy
Sveinung Berntsen1, Signe N Stafne, Siv Mørkved
1Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway. sveinung.berntsen@mail.com
Objective:
To determine whether the energy expenditure recorded with the physical activity monitor SenseWear™ Pro(2) Armband differs from that recorded with indirect calorimetry.
Design:
Cross-sectional comparison of measures of energy expenditure.
Setting:
A convenient sample recruited from a randomized controlled trial.
Population:
Twenty-nine pregnant women (24-43 years old).
Methods:
Energy expenditure was recorded with SenseWear™ Pro(2) Armband and a portable oxygen analyzer for 90 minutes while carrying out a variety of activities of different intensities.
Main Outcome Measures:
Energy expenditure recorded with the physical activity monitor SenseWear™ Pro(2) Armband.
Results:
Comparing energy expenditure during free-living activities, the mean differences and limits of agreements from Bland-Altman plots was -136±343 kJ, giving an underestimation of energy expenditure by 9%. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.71-0.93; p<0.001), giving 85% of the variance explained by differences among individuals.
Conclusions:
SenseWear™ Pro(2) Armband is a valid measure of energy expenditure during pregnancy.
