• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2019

[Purpose] The goal of this study was to review data on physical activity level (PAL), a crucial index for determining estimated energy requirement (EER), calculated as total energy expenditure (TEE, assessed with doubly labeled water [DLW]) divided by resting metabolic rate (RMR, PAL = TEE/RMR) in female athletes and to understand the methods of assessing athletes' EERs in the field. [Methods] For the PAL data review among female athletes, we conducted a PubMed search of the available literature related to the DLW method. DLW studies measuring TEE and RMR were included for the present review. [Results] Briefly, the mean PAL was 1.71 for collegiate swimmers with moderate training, which was relatively low, but the mean PAL was 3.0 for elite swimmers during summer training camp. This shows that PAL can largely vary even within the same sport depending on the amount of training, and the differences in PAL were remarkable depending on the sport. Aside from the DLW method, there is currently no research tool related to athletes' EERs that can be used in the field. [Conclusion] Briefly, the mean PAL was 1.71 for collegiate swimmers with moderate training, which was relatively low, but the mean PAL was 3.0 for elite swimmers during summer training camp. This shows that PAL can largely vary even within the same sport depending on the amount of training, and the differences in PAL were remarkable depending on the sport. Aside from the DLW method, there is currently no research tool related to athletes' EERs that can be used in the field.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2012

Weight-controlling can be supported by a proper prescription of energy intake. The individual energy requirement is usually determined through resting energy expenditure (REE) and physical activity. Because REE contributes to 60-70% of daily energy expenditure, the assessment of REE is very important. REE is often predicted using various equations, which are usually based on the body weight, height, age, gender, and so on. The aim of this study is to validate the published predictive equations for resting energy expenditure in 76 normal weight and 52 obese Korean children and adolescents in the 7-18 years old age group. The open-circuit indirect calorimetry using a ventilated hood system was used to measure REE. Sixteen REE predictive equations were included, which were based on weight and/or height of children and adolescents, or which were commonly used in clinical settings despite its use based on adults. The accuracy of the equations was evaluated on bias, RMSPE, and percentage of accurate prediction. The means of age and height were not significantly different among the groups. Weight and BMI were significantly higher in obese group (64.0 kg, $25.9kg/m^2$) than in the non-obese group (44.8 kg, $19.0kg/m^2$). For the obese group, the Molnar, Mifflin, Liu, and Harris-Benedict equations provided the accurate predictions of > 70% (87%, 79% 77%, and 73%, respectively). On the other hand, for non-obese group, only the Molnar equation had a high level of accuracy (bias of 0.6%, RMSPE of 90.4 kcal/d, and accurate prediction of 72%). The accurate prediction of the Schofield (W/WH), WHO (W/WH), and Henry (W/WH) equations was less than 60% for all groups. Our results showed that the Molnar equation appears to be the most accurate and precise for both the non-obese and the obese groups. This equation might be useful for clinical professionals when calculating energy needs in Korean children and adolescents.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2006

The walker provides stability for walking for people whose lower extremities are disabled. It is important to measure and determine the appropriate height of a walker to conserve energy and to improve function. The purposes of this study were to examine effects of walker height and gait velocity on triceps, latissimus dorsi muscle activation, and energy expenditure index (EEI) during ambulation with a walker. Fifteen healthy subjects participated in this study. Each subject was assigned a walker with one of three heights (high, standard, lower height) and of two gait velocities (comfortable gait velocity or fast gait velocity). Electromyographic data were collected from triceps and latissimus dorsi, and EEI was determined from each condition. Two-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the statistical significance. Post hoc comparison was performed with the Bonferroni test. The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. There was a significant difference in the %MVIC of triceps among different walker height factors. Post hoc comparison revealed that %MVIC of dominant triceps brachii was more significantly increased in patients who used the higher walker than those who used the lower walker (p<.05). 2. There were significant differences in the %MVIC of the latissimus dorsi among different walker height factors and gait velocity factors. Post hoc comparison revealed that the %MVIC of dominant latissimus dorsi was also more significantly increased in patients who used the higher walker than those who used the lower walker (p<.05) and in those who used the faster gait velocity than those who used the slower gait velocity (p<.05). 3. There were significant differences in the EEI among different walker height factors and gait velocity factors. Post hoc comparison revealed that the EEI was significantly increased among those who used higher and lower walkers compared with the standard walker. The EEI was also more significantly increased among those who used the fast gait velocity than those who used the slower gait velocity (p<.05). It has been concluded that increased muscle activation in triceps and latissimus dorsi was required when the walker height increased and that more energy was exp ended when the gait velocity increased. Therefore, from the findings of this study, it is recommended that walker height be adjusted according to the purposes of gait training and that healthy subjects conserve energy when ambulating with standard walkers in a comfortable gait velocity.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.751-761
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to assess the physical activity level of Korean farmers to establish their estimated energy requirements during busy farming season. 113 farmers (mean age $51.9{\pm}7.2$ years, male 42, female 71) who own farmland area above 300 pyung participated in measurement of body weight and height and interviewing of one-day activity diaries. There was no significant difference in age, BMI between male and female. Obesity prevalence according to BMI among male and female farmers was 40.5% and 50.7% respectively. The farmers spent about 7 hours in sleeping and spent about 4 hours 35 minutes working on the farm and spent about 15 hours 30 minutes (64.6% of 24 hours) in "very light activities" and spent about 3 hours 31 minutes (14.7%) in "light activities". Physical activity level (PAL, activity coefficient) of male farmers was 2.63 which was significantly higher than that (2.19) of female farmers (p < 0.05). Estimated energy requirements (EER) for farmers who were different in age and gender were suggested. For example, the estimated energy requirements for male and female farmers were 3058 kcal/day and 2279 kcal/day, respectively. The results of this study suggest that estimated energy requirements (EER) of farmers should be differentiated according to seasonal workload and energy balance of farmers should be evaluated to prevent obesity.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.123-128
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• 2014

This study investigated the exercise intensity and energy expenditure involved in two gardening activities (planting transplants and sowing seeds in a garden plot) and four common physical activities (running, skipping rope, walking, and throwing a ball) in children. Eighteen children aged 11 to 13 years (mean age, $12.3{\pm}0.7$ years) participated in this study. The children made two visits to a high tunnel in Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea and performed randomly selected activities. Each activity was performed for 10 min, with a 5-min rest period between activities. The children wore a Cosmed $K4b^2$ (Cosmed $K4b^2$; Cosmed, Rome, Italy), which is a portable calorimetric monitoring system, to measure indicators of metabolic cost such as oxygen uptake and energy expenditure. The children's heart rates during the activities were measured by radiotelemetry (Polar T 31; FitMed, Kempele, Finland). We found that the two gardening and four physical activities performed by the 11-13 years old children in this study were moderate-to high-intensity physical activities [i.e.,$5.4{\pm}0.7$ to $9.1{\pm}1.4$ metabolic equivalents (METs)]. Running ($9.1{\pm}1.4$ METs) and skipping rope ($8.8{\pm}1.1$ METs) were high-intensity physical activities, whereas walking ($6.1{\pm}0.9$ METs), planting transplants ($5.8{\pm}1.1$ METs), throwing a ball ($5.6{\pm}1.1$ METs), and sowing seeds ($5.4{\pm}0.7$ METs) were moderate intensity physical activities. Running and skipping rope were significantly more intense than the other activities (P < 0.0001). The gardening tasks such as planting transplants and sowing seeds in a garden plot showed similar exercise intensities and energy costs as walking and throwing a ball. This study indicates that gardening can be used as a physical activity intervention to provide health benefits similar to more common physical activities such as walking and running.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.652-663
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess the physical activity level of Korean farmers to establish estimated energy requirements during the off-season. Subjects were 90 healthy males (n = 25) and females (n = 65). Body weight, height and body fat and muscles of subjects were measured. The prevalence of obesity among farmers was 56.7% according to the BMI. The farmers spent about 18 hours 7 minutes (75.5%) in sleeping and resting. The farmers spent about 19 hours 56 minutes (83.1%) out of 24 hours (one day) in "sedentary activities" and spent about 3 hours 56 minutes (16.4%) in "light activities". Physical activity level (PAL, activity coefficient) of female farmers was 1.42 which was not significantly higher than that (1.37) of male farmers. Estimated energy requirements (EER) for farmers who were different in age groups and gender were calculated. For example, the EERs for male and female farmers were 2190 kcal/day and 1712 kcal/day, respectively. The daily energy intakes of male and female farmers were 1803 kcal/day and 1610 kcal/day, respectively. The EER of male farmers was 2190 kcal/day which was significantly higher than that (1803 kcal/day) of the recommended daily energy intake of male farmers. The results of this study suggest that estimated EER of farmers should be modified according to seasonal workload and energy balance of farmers should be evaluated to prevent obesity.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.180-191
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• 2015

Purpose: There is a lack of data on the energy cost of children's everyday activities, adult values are often used as surrogates. In addition, the influence of body weight on the energy cost of activity when expressed as metabolic equivalents (METs) has not been vigorously explored. Methods: In this study 20 elementary school students 9~12 years of age completed 18 various physical activities while energy expenditure was measured continuously using a portable telemetry gas exchange system ($K_4b^2$, Cosmed, Rome, Italy). Results: The average age was 10.4 years and the average height and weight was 145.1 cm and 43.6 kg, respectively. Oxygen consumption ($VO_2$), energy expenditure and METs at the time of resting of the subjects were 5.41 mL/kg/min, 1.44 kcal/kg/h, and 1.5 METs, respectively. METs values by 18 physical activities were as follows: Homework and reading books (1.6 METs), playing game with a mobile phone or video while sitting (1.6 METs), watching TV while sitting on a comfortable chair (1.7 METs), playing video game or mobile phone game while standing (1.9 METs), sweeping a room with a broom (2.7 METs) and playing a board game (2.8 METs) belong to light intensity physical activities. By contrary, speedy walking and running were 6.6 and 6.7 METs, respectively, which belong to high intensity physical activities over 6.0 METs. When the effect of body weight on physical activity energy expenditure was determined, $R^2$ values increased with 0.116 (playing a game at sitting), 0.176 (climbing up and down stairs), 0.246 (slow walking), and 0.455 (running), which showed that higher activity intensity increased explanation power of body weight on METs value. Conclusion: This study is important for direct evaluation of energy expenditure by physical activities of children, and it could be used directly for revising and complementing the existing activity classification table to fit for children.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 2000

The bone mineral density(vertebrae Ll-4, femoral neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter) of 160 healthy adult women aged 29-45 was measured and general characteristics, anthropomentric measurements, and dietary intake were also studied to determine the main factors affecting the bone mineral density(BMD) of adult women. The nutrient intake of the subjects was adequate to RDA level except energy, Ca, Fe, and vit A. The BMD of vertebrae L24 showed significant positive association with nutrient intake such as animal protein, P, Ca(animal) and Fe(animal). The BMD of the femoral neck correlated significantly with anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, body fat and body mass index. The BMD of both sites(vertebrae L24 and femoral neck) were significantly related to vertebrae L24 was daily Ca intake and that of femoral neck was daily energy expenditure. In conclusion, adequate nutrient intake, especially protein, P, Ca and Fe as well as increases in physical activity were suggested to prevent the loss of bone mineral density in adult women.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.350-356
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to verify the relation among vegetarian diet, physical activity and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Two hundred and forty five buddhist nuns (age : 23~79 yrs) were selected as vegetarians. For control subjects, 235 healthy female adults (age : 23~79 yrs) were selected. Study period was from October 1996 to February 1997. The contents are consist of food consumption survey, anthropometric measurement, amount of energy expenditure, physical activity and clinical examination. Results were summarized as follows : The average ages of vegetarians were $44.2{\pm}17.3\;yrs$ and those of non-vegetarians were $40.5{\pm}18.4\;yrs$. Average body mass indices (BMI) of vegetarians and non-vegetarians were $22.5{\pm}2.7\;and\;21.1{\pm}2.5$, WHRs were $0.9{\pm}0.1\;and\;0.8{\pm}0.1$, and the average duration of vegetarian diet of the vegetarians was 13.1{\pm}12.9 years. All the nutrient intakes of both groups were over RDA's except calcium and vitamin A intakes of non-vegetarians that were below RDA's Fiber and vitamin C intakes of the vegetarians were significantly higher than those of non-vegetarians (p<0.01). Average energy intakes of vegetarians and non-vegetarians were $2177.1{\pm}420.6\;kcal/day\;and\;2103.2{\pm}534.9\;kcal/day$, total daily energy expenditure were $1789.9{\pm}325.8\;kcal/day\;and\;1703.8{\pm}344.8\;kcal/day$, those by physical activity were $507.8{\pm}360.9\;kcal/day\;and\;400.0{\pm}247.8\;kcal/day$. Serum lipid level, blood sugar, systolic blood pressure of vegetarians were significantly lower than those of non-vegetarians, but ratio of HDL-cholesterol/total-cholesterol was higher than those of non-vegetarians. Levels of total serum cholesterol of vegetarians and non-vegetarians were 161.4{\pm}33.3 mg/dL and 189.6{\pm}33.6mg/dL, HDL-cholesterol were $48.2{\pm}11.4\;mg/dL\;and\;50.8{\pm}12.2\;mg/dL$, LDL-cholesterol were $86.6{\pm}26.9\;mg/dL\;and\;111.1{\pm}17.0\;mg/dL$, atherogenic indice(AI) were $2.4{\pm}0.6\;and\;2.9{\pm}0.7$, fasting blood sugar were $90.8{\pm}14.3\;mg/dL\;and\;103.6{\pm}24.6\;mg/dL$, systolic blood pressure were $107.5{\pm}14.9\;mmHg\;and\;119.3{\pm}15.3\;mmHg$. Energy expenditure by physical activity was negatively correlated with levels of serum total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic indice(AI). Therefore, physical activity and vegetarian diet effectively helped reduce blood lipids related to cardiovascular disease.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.61-69
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• 1991

The relationships between nutrients intake, physical activity and bone mineral density were investigated in 19 elderly men aged 71-80 years. A trained nutritionist interviewed usual dietary intake and daily activity with a questionnaire, and bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine and three regions of the proximal femur (femur neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter) with a Luna DP3 dual photon absorptiometry. The correlations between dietary calcium intake and bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and trochanteric region were significant at P<0.05 and P<0.01 level respectively. the significant correlations were also found between vitamin A(P<0.005), riboflavin(P<0.01), and ascorbic acid(P<0.05) intake and bone mineral density at these sites. Higher physical activity was associated with greater bone mineral density of four sites, but this was not significant. But there were significant relationships between total energy expenditure and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine(P<0.01), femur neck (P<0.05) and Ward's triangle(P<0.05). In this study the results revealed that bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and trochanteric region were associated with dietary calcium intake. And bone mineral density of the femur neck and Ward's triangle were related to physical activity but not to nutrients intake. In conclusion, dietary calcium intake seems to be a important factor for greater bone mineral density. Further evidence will be needed that physical activity protects against bone fracture and osteoporosis in the edlerly.