Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
08:45
Assessment of Physical Activity Intensity with Accelerometers and Oxygen Consumption
Published on: June 20, 2025
Daily physical activity assessment with accelerometers: new insights and validation studies
G Plasqui1, A G Bonomi, K R Westerterp
1Human Biology Department, NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht, The Netherlands. g.plasqui@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Summary
Accelerometers measure physical activity energy expenditure, but validation studies show varied accuracy. Doubly labelled water (DLW) remains the gold standard for assessing total energy expenditure.
Area of Science:
- Physical Activity Measurement
- Energy Expenditure Assessment
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accelerometry is increasingly used to measure physical activity and energy expenditure.
- The doubly labelled water (DLW) method is the gold standard for validating energy expenditure measurements over extended periods.
- Previous reviews have covered earlier accelerometer validation studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review recent (2007-2011) studies validating accelerometers against the DLW method.
- To assess the current validity and variability of accelerometers in measuring daily physical activity.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed Central database.
- Keywords used: doubly labelled water, accelerometer, accelerometry, motion sensor, activity monitor.
- Included articles published between 2007 and 2011; 25 of 38 identified articles contained sufficient new data.
Main Results:
- Eighteen different accelerometers were evaluated in the selected studies.
- Significant variability was observed in accelerometer output and their validity for assessing daily physical activity.
- Limited evidence suggests that combining heart rate with accelerometry significantly improves energy expenditure estimation.
Conclusions:
- Accelerometer-based physical activity assessment shows considerable variability.
- Activity type recognition holds promise for enhancing the assessment of physical activity's impact on health outcomes.
- Further research is needed to improve the accuracy and reliability of accelerometers.
