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Energy Cost of Activities in Preschool-Aged Children

Maurice R Puyau1, Anne L Adolph, Yan Liu

  • 1Dept of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine.

Journal of Physical Activity & Health
|July 9, 2016
PubMed

Insights

This study measured the energy cost of activities in preschool children, finding that heart rate can predict activity intensity. These findings will help update physical activity guidelines for young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Exercise Physiology
  • Childhood Physical Activity Measurement
  • Metabolic Equivalents in Children

Background:

  • Energy cost of physical activities increases with age due to growth and maturation.
  • Limited data exists on energy expenditure in preschool-aged children.
  • Understanding energy costs is crucial for physical activity guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the absolute and relative energy cost of common activities in preschool children.
  • To measure oxygen consumption (VO2), energy expenditure (EE), and child-specific metabolic equivalents (METs).
  • To predict METs using age, sex, and heart rate (HR).

Main Methods:

  • Room respiration calorimetry was used to measure EE, VO2, HR, and child-METs.
  • 119 healthy children aged 3 to 5 years participated in the study.
  • 13 structured activities, from sleeping to high-intensity, were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Data on EE, VO2, HR, and child-METs for 13 activities are presented.
  • A strong curvilinear relationship was found between child-METs and HR (r2 = .85; P = .001).
  • Activity levels ranged from sedentary to high-active.

Conclusions:

  • Age-specific child METs will enhance the Youth Compendium of Physical Activity.
  • These findings support research and practical applications for preschool physical activity.
  • Heart rate can serve as an objective indicator of activity intensity in preschoolers.
Abstract

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