Techniques for the measurement of human energy expenditure: a practical guide

We have tried to provide a brief guide to the range of techniques available for assessing energy expenditure in a variety of different settings. It is hoped that this will enable potential users to select an appropriate method for the problem in hand and to be able to trace more detailed reference material, advice or collaboration. The Appendix provides a selection of equipment suppliers known to us. It is not an exhaustive list. Many laboratories which possess some of the more elite techniques are prepared to participate in collaborative studies if approached with a sufficiently novel hypothesis or clinical problem. Since many biological questions will only be solved by harnessing the combined power of several techniques (e.g. whole-body calorimetry and DLW), such collaborative studies are often beneficial.