Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
06:51

Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training

Published on: July 27, 2022

2.5K

Energy Cost of Common Physical Activities in Preschoolers

Mirko Brandes, Berit Steenbock, Norman Wirsik

    Journal of Physical Activity & Health
    |December 6, 2017
    PubMed

    Insights

    The energy cost of physical activities in preschoolers is higher than estimated by current youth guidelines. Developing specific Compendium of Energy Expenditure for Youth (CEEY) data for preschoolers is recommended to avoid underestimating energy expenditure.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Exercise Science
    • Human Physiology
    • Physical Activity Research

    Background:

    • Accurate measurement of energy expenditure (EE) is crucial for understanding physical activity in children.
    • Existing Compendium of Energy Expenditure for Youth (CEEY) may not accurately reflect EE in preschool-aged children.
    • Preschoolers engage in various physical activities with differing intensities.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To determine the energy cost of common physical activities in preschoolers.
    • To compare the measured energy expenditure with the Compendium of Energy Expenditure for Youth (CEEY).

    Main Methods:

    • 42 preschoolers (4.8 years old) performed 13 physical activities.
    • Energy expenditure (EE) was measured using indirect calorimetry.
    • Activity-specific metabolic equivalents (AME) were calculated and compared to CEEY values.

    Main Results:

    • No significant sex differences in AME were found.
    • Indoor activities generally showed higher EE than CEEY estimates, except for hide-and-seek.
    • Outdoor activities like tricycle riding and fast walking also demonstrated significant differences from CEEY values.

    Conclusions:

    • The CEEY likely underestimates the energy expenditure of preschoolers.
    • A specific CEEY for preschool children is needed for accurate EE assessment.
    • This research highlights the need for age-specific physical activity energy cost data.
    Abstract

    Keywords:
    energy expenditurefree-play activitiesindooroutdoor

    More Related Videos

    Assessment of Physical Activity Intensity with Accelerometers and Oxygen Consumption08:45

    Assessment of Physical Activity Intensity with Accelerometers and Oxygen Consumption

    Published on: June 20, 2025

    607
    Calculating Heart Rate Variability from ECG Data from Youth with Cerebral Palsy During Active Video Game Sessions08:12

    Calculating Heart Rate Variability from ECG Data from Youth with Cerebral Palsy During Active Video Game Sessions

    Published on: June 5, 2019

    20.6K

    Related Concept Videos

    What is Energy?04:10

    What is Energy?

    The universe is composed of matter in different forms, and all forms of matter contain energy.  The different forms of energy on Earth originate from the Sun — the ultimate energy source. Plants capture light energy from the Sun, and, via the process of photosynthesis, convert it into chemical energy. This stored energy from plants can be harnessed in many ways. For example, eating plant products as food provides energy for our body to function, and burning wood or coal (fossilized...
    59.8K
    Activation Energy01:26

    Activation Energy

    Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy necessary for a chemical reaction to move forward. The higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of the reaction. However, adding heat to the reaction will increase the rate, since it causes molecules to move faster and increase the likelihood that molecules will collide. The collision and breaking of bonds represents the uphill phase of a reaction and generates the transition state. The transition state is an unstable high-energy state...
    87.3K
    Kinetic Energy00:23

    Kinetic Energy

    Kinetic energy is the ability of an object in motion to do work or enact change. It can take on many forms. For instance, water flowing down a waterfall has kinetic energy. In biological systems, particles of light travel and are absorbed by plants to create chemical energy. Animals consume the chemical energy and give off molecules that carry their scent through the air. They also generate kinetic energy when they run away from predators. Entire systems also possess kinetic energy, like the...
    43.8K
    Elastic Potential Energy01:01

    Elastic Potential Energy

    Elastic potential energy is the energy stored as a result of the deformation of an elastic object, such as the stretching of a spring. An object is elastic if it returns to its original shape and size after being deformed. 
    Potential energy is also associated with the elastic force exerted by an ideal spring. The work done by this force can be represented as a change in the elastic potential energy of the spring. Thus, the work done by a perfectly elastic spring, in one dimension, depends...
    19.8K
    Gravitational Potential Energy01:14

    Gravitational Potential Energy

    Potential energy is not just a property of each object, but also a property of the interactions between objects in a chosen system. For each type of interaction present in a system, there is a corresponding type of potential energy. The total potential energy of the system is the sum of the potential energies of all the objects. Potential energy can be classified into two major categories: gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy. The potential energy associated with a...
    26.6K
    Power01:08

    Power

    The concept of work involves force and displacement; meanwhile, the work-energy theorem relates the net work done on a body to the difference in its kinetic energy, calculated between two points on its trajectory. While none of these quantities or relations involves time explicitly, we know that the time available to accomplish work is often just as important as the amount of work itself. For example, sprinters in a race may have achieved the same velocity at the finish, therefore,...
    13.1K