Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Determining the Contribution of the Energy Systems During Exercise
Published on: March 20, 2012
Human energy requirements: overestimation by widely used prediction equation
Abstract:
Basal energy expenditure accounts for a large component of energy losses, and a clinical estimate of this form of thermogenesis is usually derived from a prediction equation. The most widely used prediction equation was developed in 1919 by Harris and Benedict. The energy requirements of healthy and diseased individuals are often estimated from application of this formula. Using a direct gradient-layer calorimeter and two different indirect calorimeters, our two centers found that the Harris-Benedict equation overestimated basal energy requirements by 10 to 15% (X +/- SD, 12.3 +/- 11%) in 201 studies of healthy men and women. These results raise questions regarding the accuracy of predicting an individual's energy requirements.
Related Concept Videos
Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies
Dimensional Analysis
Conversion Factors and Dimensional Analysis
The unit...
Estimation of the Physical Quantities
Energy Balance
Metabolic Rate
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) measures the energy expended at rest.
Several factors influence the...
Mechanistic Models: Compartment Models in Individual and Population Analysis

