Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice
Published on: November 11, 2021
Energy expenditure of deskwork when sitting, standing or alternating positions
B Barone Gibbs1, R J Kowalsky1, S J Perdomo1
1Department of Health and Physical Activity, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15216, USA.
Background:
Recent guidelines recommend accruing 2-4h of standing or light activity during the working day. Use of sit-stand desks could achieve this goal, but whether standing can meaningfully increase energy expenditure (EE) is unclear.
Aims:
To study EE, heart rate, feelings and productivity during deskwork while sitting, standing or alternating positions.
Methods:
We measured EE by indirect calorimetry in working adults over three randomly ordered 60-min conditions while performing deskwork: continuous sitting (SIT), 30min of each standing and sitting (STAND-SIT) and continuous standing (STAND). We also assessed heart rate, productivity and self-reported energy, fatigue and pain. Linear mixed models compared minute-by-minute EE and heart rate across conditions. Non-parametric tests compared remaining outcomes across conditions.
Results:
The study group comprised 18 working adults. Compared with SIT, STAND-SIT engendered an additional 5.5±12.4 kcal/h (7.8% increase) and STAND engendered an additional 8.2±15.9 kcal/h (11.5% increase) (both P < 0.001). Alternating positions to achieve the recommended 4h/day of standing could result in an additional 56.9 kcal/day for an 88.9kg man and 48.3 kcal/day for a 75.5kg woman. STAND-SIT and STAND also increased heart rate over SIT by 7.5±6.8 and 13.7±8.8 bpm, respectively (both P < 0.001). We observed no meaningful differences in feelings or productivity.
Conclusions:
Desk-based workers could increase EE without added discomfort by using a sit-stand desk. These findings inform future research on sit-stand desks as a part of workplace interventions to increase EE and potentially improve health.
More Related Videos
04:54Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans
Published on: June 2, 2023
08:40Quantifying Arms and Legs Contributions during Repetitive Electrically-Assisted Sit-To-Stand Exercise in Paraplegics: A Pilot Study
Published on: November 11, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Work and Energy for Variable Forces
Energy Budgets
Power Expended by a Constant Force
Body Temperature
Energy Diagrams - I
Take the example of a skater on a parabolic ramp. The potential energy at different points along the ramp will be proportional to the height of the ramp, which varies quadratically with the horizontal position on the ramp. As the skater moves down the ramp from the highest position,...