Anthropology 220, Online
Energy Balance Final Project Information and Guidelines
PART 1
Your final project will be graded according to the rubrics and information provided in our
syllabus, in the Final Project module, and in my announcements. First, please read the
Information and Guidelines for the Research Final Project. Your Energy Balance Project will
follow the same basic guidelines.
In this project, you will record and analyze your own dietary intake over a 3-day period using the
SuperTracker online software provided by the USDA, and you own energy expenditure over a 3day period using the information provided in the Energy Balance Appendix. There are three
main goals to this project:
1) to analyze your diet in terms of energy intake, nutrient intake, and other concepts
discussed and read about in our course.
2) to analyze your energy expenditure in terms of activity and in relation to energy intake
and other concepts discussed and read about in our course.
3) to critically evaluate the SuperTracker software program based on your personal
experience.
You will communicate your findings in a formal scientific written report that must include the
following five sections: Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, Discussion, and
Conclusions. Since this is a complex assignment, I am providing you with detailed guidelines for
each section of your report, an separate file that explains what information goes into each section
of a scientific report found in the Final Project Information module, an example of several
sections at the end of this document, and several exemplars.
Step 1: Get prepared
1. Set up your dietary analysis profile at www.supertracker.usda.gov/. You will be using the
Food Tracker portion of the site. Play around with this program and familiarize yourself it. This
will make your data collection and entry much easier. Make the necessary copies of data
collection forms (see below) and decide which days you plan to collect data. Try to choose 3
days that will be representative of your usual food intake and will give you plenty of time for
your data analysis. They can be consecutive days, but do not have to be. From the date of
introducing this project, you only have about nine weeks to collect, organize, analyze, and write
your data. We suggest getting started now, collecting your data over three consecutive days, and
having data ready to analyze before your second progress paper is due.
2. Write a (or a few) prediction(s) and your dietary goal. Do you think you are in perfect,
negative, or positive energy balance? Why? Are you getting enough protein? Fats? Lipids?
Step 2: Collect the data
1. Maintain a record of your food intake for any 3 days. You may use the dietary intake sheet we
have provided, but you do not have to (i.e. use whatever works best for you). Be as accurate as
possible in describing the types of foods and the quantities consumed. Keep in mind that the
SuperTracker software may expect quantities recorded in weight (grams, ounces, etc.), serving
size (cups, teaspoons, etc.) or number of whole items (1 medium apple, 1 large orange, etc.).
What if you can’t find values for a particular food? What if you cannot weigh you food? Use the
closest weight or approximation you can find, and clearly and concisely explain your selection in
your methods section.
2. Maintain a record of your energy expenditure for the same 3 days as your food intake record.
You may use the energy expenditure sheet we have provided, but you do not have to. Be as
accurate as possible in recording every activity that you are involved in. This includes sleep, rest,
study, eating, and activity of any nature. You will need to record the duration of activity (in
minutes), and the intensity of the activity (light, moderate, high). You will later use the appendix
to calculate energy expenditure. What if you cannot find a specific activity in the appendix, or
one that reflects the correct attributes for that activity? Use the closest activity you can find, and
clearly and concisely explain your selection in your methods section.
3. As you record and enter your data, keep notes on your own experiences with this assignment.
How easy or difficult is it to accurately record your food intake and energy expenditure? How
easy or difficult is it to use the SuperTracker software? Are all the foods in your diet and all the
activities in your day easily found in the software program and in the appendix and the
information provided? Do you think your results are accurate, or reflective of your dietary
choices and activity levels? Are the results suprising? How can you use the results to better
achieve your dietary goals? How does the results, or the process, relate to our course lectures and
readings? How can you situate this project into a larger Nutritional Anthropology perspective?
Describing these experiences will be an important part of your final report (i.e. in your
discussion section).
Step 3: Write the methods and materials section
After completing the data collection and before doing any analysis, write the methods section of
your report, i.e., a detailed description of how you collected the data. Why should the methods be
written before the results are analyzed? It is good practice in scientific research to write out the
methods (at least as notes) immediately so that nothing is forgotten, and so analysis of the results
does not influence one’s memory of the methods.
Describe the dates, locations, software and/or equipment used; as well as any exceptions,
inconsistencies, or changes to the procedures during the project. Be sure to explain how
quantities were measured or estimated at home, in restaurants, etc., and how accurate you were
able to be. Remember, methods should be clear and detailed enough that another person could
read them as if they were instructions (or a recipe ;-), and repeat the procedures exactly the same
way that you did in your project.
Step 4: Analyze the data
Before you can write the next section of your report, you must analyze the data and think about
what you want to write. To complete this part of the project you will use the Food Tracker
portion of the SuperTracker software, the energy expenditure and activity information in the
Energy Balance appendix, and Microsoft Excel or a comparable program to generate tables and
figures. Here are the steps you should follow in your data analysis:
1. Dietary intake and Energy Expenditure. Analyze your food intake by determining total energy
intake (kilocalories), macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat) distribution and quantities
consumed each day, and as a 3-day average. The Food Tracker program provides this
information. Do this same analysis for your energy expenditure using the information provided
in the appendix. You will have to calculate your energy expenditure, so be sure to input your
data into Microsoft Excel to easily calculate your values. You should calculate energy
expenditure each day and as a 3-day average.
2. Comparisons to recommendations for nutrient intakes. Using the “Nutrient Intake Report” link
in Food Tracker, compare your energy and nutrient intakes with the recommended values (DRI).
Specifically, you should record energy intake (kcal), and each of the macronutrients (protein,
fats, and carbohydrates). Do the comparisons for each day and for the 3-day averages.
3. Comparison of your energy intake and your energy expenditure values. Using Microsoft Excel
or a similar program, how does your energy expenditure compare to your energy intake? Do the
comparison for each day and for the 3-day averages. Although it is not required, you may decide
to run a correlation coefficient analysis on your 3 days of data (the totals for each day). If so, y
can include the r-value in your results section. You may also want to include a scatter plot graph
to illustrate the correlation, and / or a table.
4. For all other data, use Microsoft Excel or a similar program to generate figures or tables. Both
figures and tables are required, they need to be labeled, clear, easy to understand, and highlight
what you believe are the most interesting findings.
Step 5: Write the results section
In this section, summarize the findings of your analysis both in written word and using tables
and figures. This is not the place to discuss your interpretations or feelings about the results. It is
the place to simply present the results and highlight the most important and interesting findings
for the reader. Why can’t the results section include comments and interpretation? It is good
scientific practice to keep the actual results separate from the interpretation so the reader can
evaluate the results before the writer’s opinions are introduced.
Summarize the results in written form. As you are summarizing your results in writing, refer to
relevant tables and figures. You should use the tables and figures to help you highlight the most
interesting findings, and direct the reader to more detailed information. You do not need to
reiterate any information that is provided in a table or graph, simply refer the reader to the
appropriate figure.
Tables and figures: These should be numbered consecutively, and be in the same order that they
are mentioned in the text. Each table should have a number and title at the top which clearly
describes what it presents. For example, “Table 1. Daily energy and nutrient intakes” or “Table
2. Daily energy expenditure” or “Figure 1. Protein intake relative to DRI recommendation.” All
columns in a table or graph should have headers clearly indicating contents and units of measure
used. A table should have all of its columns and rows on the same page; in other words, tables
should not cut across page breaks. Likewise, figures should have all axes clearly labeled and
should appear on a single page. Also, be sure to create a key for any differently colored
components of your figure (e.g. different shades or patterns of lines or bars).
Step 6: Write the discussion
This is the place to interpret, discuss and explain what you found, and describe how your
methods influenced your findings. The discussion is arguably the most important part of your
report, since it explains the “so what” of your research. At the very minimum, the discussion
should address the following points:
• Was your predictions (or hypotheses) on Energy Balance supported? Was this surprising
in any way? If so, why? What would you plan to change if anything? How would you
propose that change?
• Were you surprised about any of your other results? If so, what surprised you and why? If
not, why?
• What problems/difficulties/inconveniences did you encounter in collecting the data? Did
the actual process of data collection affect your food intake or energy expenditure in any
way? If so, how?
• How accurate were you able to be? Were there any circumstances that influenced your
accuracy? Unexpected visitors to your home? Traveling? Work scheduling? Were there
problems with the SuperTracker software? If so, how did they influence your results?
• How representative are the data of your usual food intake and energy expenditure
patterns? Were there unforeseen circumstances that resulted in abnormal food intake or
activity levels?
• How much day-to-day variation in energy expenditure and intake do your records show?
Are your days consistent, or are there major differences from day to day? If there are
differences, why?
• How do your energy expenditure and intake values compare with the recommendations
(DRI, etc)? What, if anything, do these comparisons tell you about the adequacy of your
diet and activity levels?
• Based on your experience, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the USDA’s
SuperTracker program? In what ways was it easy or difficult to use the program? This
program is designed to be quick, simple, and intuitive for all members of the public to
analyze their energy balance – specifically in terms of the dietary recommendations. Has
the programs succeeded in this goal? Do you think the programs can be a useful tool for
improving the nutritional quality and health of diets in the United States? How about
outside the United States?
• How does your results and your predictions relate to our course (lectures and readings). I
what ways do our readings provide new perspective to interpret your results? How can
you explore your results and this project from a biocultural nutritional perspective?
Step 7: Write the introduction and title
The introduction should provide a little background information including what the report is
about, why it is important and why the reader should find it interesting, how it relates to aspects
of our course (the lecture and reading material you have learned). Because you provided at least
one prediction(s), you should present your prediction(s) in the introduction. After reading the
introduction, the reader should have a clear idea of what to expect in the rest of the report. A
‘Title’ for your report has two important functions. 1) Your title should tell the reader what the
report will be about, and 2) your title should catch the attention of the reader. Give your title a bit
of thought. Why write the introduction and title last? So you know what you are introducing!
Step 9: Write the conclusion
This is where you tied everything together in a few lines, and present a final take away message.
This can easily be done in a paragraph because you really can only conclude one of three things:
(1) you found what you expected to find; (2) you found something you did not expect to find; (3)
you found some combination of 1 and 2. Add a few more sentences briefly describing your final
verdict regarding the SuperTracker program and how you incorporated the course material into
your project (the culture of food).
Step 10: Add the references cited
It is likely that you will want to refer to outside sources in writing your report (e.g., lectures,
discussions, readings, websites, etc.). If so, list them under your references cited section. Do not
forget, anything that you use (reference material including the websites you use for the energy
balance project) should be cited and referenced. You should at least cite material lecture
(including our Energy Balance appendix), and the SuperTracker software you use for this
project. For citations in the text, use the standard format used in the American Journal of
Physical Anthropology, or American Journal of Human Biology. For example, when you cite a
source in your paper (e.g. in your methods and materials section), you should include the author
and the date of the publication. For example, you might cite our files or lectures as According to Ulibarri (2017), energy balance is….
Or
Total daily energy expenditure was calculated by using the Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks table
provided to our class (Ulibarri & Sloan, 2016).
When you cite a source, you need to include that reference in the References Cited section at the
end of your paper. In your References be sure to include the author, the date, the title of the file
or lecture, the course, the campus, and the location. For example, you might reference our files
or lectures as Ulibarri, L. (2017). Lecture 1, Basics of Nutritional Anthropology. Anth. 220, Nutritional
Anthropology. University of Oregon.
Step 11: Putting the report together
You should now have everything you need to assemble the report. All text should be typed
(double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point font). The length of your paper will partly depend on
the detail you provide, the number of graphs and charts you make, and the thought put into your
discussion. Typically, your report will be 10 pages long. It can be longer, but remember to be
concise! It can also be shorter, but that should not sacrifice detail. The report should consist of
the following sections in the order listed:
• Title and your name (you do not need a cover page, but you can do this if you want)
• Text with each section titled:
• Introduction
• Methods and materials
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References Cited
• Tables (both in numerical order and same order as mentioned in text)*
• Figures (both in numerical order and same order as mentioned in text)*
• Data collection sheets attached as an appendix (these are provided in Information sheet
part 2). These can be in written form, or printed if you use Excel or a similar program.
• Anything else you might want to include
• Keep your electronic file. If your paper is top quality (the top 3 papers in our class), we
will request an electronic copy to use as an exemplar for a future term. Your paper will be
a citable resource for future students. I will also award bonus points to the top three
papers upon receiving the electronic copy. For an assignment worth 80 points, that is not
too shabby!
*Tables and figures can either be presented in text or as an attached appendix at the end of the
report. Even if they are in the appendix, they need to be in the same order that they are
mentioned in the text.
EXAMPLE METHODS & RESULTS
Here is an example Methods and Results sections to assist you in your writing. Please also view
the exemplars for more complete examples. Note that this is just an example meant to give you
an idea of what these sections should look like – your own sections will probably be different
based on what you did and what you found. Although you can refer to these examples, be sure to
write your paper in your own words. Also, please remember that tables and figures are
REQUIRED, as is your prediction (or hypothesis) about your energy balance (and for any other
aspect of diet that you are interested in, e.g. protein intake, energy expenditure, etc.), and a
discussion about that hypothesis.
Methods: remember that the goal of this section is to let the reader know exactly how you
collected and analyzed the data. Ideally, the reader should be able to reproduce your experiment
step-by-step; s/he should never be left thinking, “I wonder how the author came up these data.”
Importantly, you need to explain how you handled any deviations from your original data
collection plan, such as misplacing a dietary intake sheet, recording foods that are not listed in
the SuperTracker database, etc.
Results: the goal here is to simply present the data in a clear way, without additional commentary
or interpretation (that comes in the Discussion). Here I have just included data for energy and
macronutrient intake, but it should give you a good idea of how to report your other results as
well (micronutrients, comparison to recommendations, etc.). Focus on the main results (e.g.,
energy intake, macro/micronutrient intake), but also include any additional results you found
interesting. In the example, I talk about the types of fats consumed, but you do not necessarily
need to do this – for instance, perhaps you discovered a lot of day-to-day variability in sodium
intake, or an unexpectedly low intake of Vitamin C across the board, etc. You get to decide on
what is interesting, based on the knowledge you have gained in class.
EXAMPLE METHODS AND RESULTS SECTION BELOW
METHODS
Dietary intake data and energy expenditure for this project were collected from a single
participant for 3 consecutive days beginning on Monday, May 16, 2016 and ending on
Wednesday, May 18, 2016. These days were chosen in order to obtain a representative sample
of weekday dietary patterns. All data were collected while the participant was at home, at
restaurants and on the UO campus in the city of Eugene, Oregon. All data were analyzed using
the Food Tracker component of the USDA’s SuperTracker online database (a link is provided in
the references under USDA, 2016) as well as the information and physical activity sheets
provided in the Anthropology 220 Nutritional Anthropology course (Ulibarri & Sloan, 2016;
USDA, 2016).
Dietary Intake
Dietary intake data were collected each day from the time the participant awoke in the
morning until the time that he went to bed that evening. The type, quantity and location of all
foods and beverages (including water) consumed were recorded in a pre-printed food diary (see
Appendix A) as they were consumed. The time that each food was consumed was also recorded
in the food diary.
Meals that were prepared and consumed at home were recorded using a weighed
inventory method. For recipes that produced multiple servings, the components of the recipe
were recorded and entered into the My Recipe function in Food Tracker, and the portion of the
recipe consumed was recorded in the food diary and software for analysis. During recipe
preparation, each individual food was measured and recorded into the food diary. Dry foods were
measured using dry measuring cups and recorded in cups. Liquids were measured in a graduated
liquid measuring cup and recorded in fluid ounces. Small additions (e.g., spices) were measured
using graduated teaspoons and tablespoons, and recorded as teaspoon or tablespoon quantities.
Pre-packaged snacks and meals consumed on campus or at restaurants were recorded
using a modified weighed inventory method by using the serving size information provided on
the package labels, or from information provided in the restaurant menu or website. In cases
where the information was not readily available, the quantity consumed was recorded using a
visual estimate of portion size, and then later the nutrition information was obtained from the
restaurant website or Food Tracker database.
Fresh fruits and vegetables that were consumed whole were recorded by size. For
example, for apples, the apple type (e.g., Honey Crisp, Gala) and size (small, medium, large)
were recorded.
All beverages consumed were recorded in fluid ounces. For beverages purchased at
restaurants, the size of the cup was used to estimate ounces. For example, if a large coffee was
served in a 20 ounce to-go cup, then that was the quantity recorded in the food diary. Water
consumption was measured using a graduated CamelBak water bottle.
Energy Expenditure
(you now have an idea of what the methods for Energy intake look like, simply
extrapolate this to Energy Expenditure).
Data Analysis
All data were analyzed using the Food Tracker software and in Microsoft Excel. Actual
intakes were compared to Dietary Reference Intake recommendations provided by the software.
The dietary recommendations for the participant were generated through the user-defined profile
option provided by the software and were based on age, sex, height, and weight. In order to
calculate day to day energy intake, foods were entered separately for each day of data collection.
When the exact brand of food was not available in the database, the closest available match was
used. Once all data were entered into the software, the Nutrient Intake Report function was used
to generate total energy expenditure for each day as well as a 3 day average. The Nutrient Intake
Report was also used to generate total and average macronutrient and micronutrient intakes. All
data on energy expenditure was entered into Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, 2015), and kcal for
each activity were calculated using the values provided in Anthropology 220 Nutritional
Anthropology Energy Balance project directions (Ulibarri & Sloan, 2016). Each activity was
entered separately for each day of data collection. If the exact physical activity was not found in
the appendix of physical activities, or the correct degree of intensity, the closest available match
was used. When all the data was put into Microsoft Excel, the total kcal expended for each day
(starting from midnight of the first day, ending at 11:59 pm) was calculated, as was the total for 3
days (72 hours). The daily energy intake values (kcal) were then compared to energy expenditure
values (kcal) using correlation coefficient analysis in Microsoft Excel.
RESULTS
Energy and macronutrient intake by day
Total energy intake values for each day of data collection are presented in Table 1.
Energy intake was similar across all three days, and ranged between 1629 and 1759 kilocalories.
Energy intakes between May 16 and 17 were the most consistent, with only a 43 kilocalorie
difference between the two days. The largest difference in energy intake was 130 kilocalories,
which occurred between May 17 and May 18.
Table 1. Total energy intake (kcals) by date of data collection.
Date
Energy Intake (kcal) Between day difference (kcal)
May 16, 2016
1672
43 (May 16-17)
May 17, 2016
1629
130 (May 17-18)
May 18, 2016
1759
87 (May 16 to May 18)
When energy intake data were analyzed for macronutrient distribution, carbohydrates and
fats made up the largest percentage of energy, while protein contributed to the lowest percentage
of energy on all three days. May 16 and 17 had similar macronutrient distributions, with 40% of
total energy coming from carbohydrates (Figure 1). However, on May 18, carbohydrate intake
was slightly higher (44%) and made up almost half of total energy intake (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Average macronutrient distribution for May 16 and May 17.
Fat
45%
Carbohydrate
40%
Protein
15%
.
Figure 2. Macronutrient distribution for May 18.
Fat
41%
Carbohydrate
45%
Protein
14%
Fat intake accounted for over 30% of total energy intake on all three days, with the
highest on May 16 and 17. Although total fat intakes were similar on these two days, the types of
fat differed. On October 13, the largest percentage of fat came from polyunsaturated fat, and the
smallest percentage came from saturated fat (Table 2). On the other hand, on May 17, the largest
percentage of fat came from saturated fat while the smallest percentage came from
monounsaturated fat (Table 2). The percentage of fat intake on the 18th was slightly lower, and
there was little difference between the sources (1% or less) (Table 2).
Date
May 16
May 18
May 18
Table 2. Percentage of fat intake by date and source.
Total Fat
Saturated
Monosaturated
(% of total intake) (% of fat intake) (% of fat intake)
33
9
11
33
13
9
31
11
10
Polyunsaturated
(% of fat intake)
13
11
10
Energy expenditure by day
(you’ve seen with the results look like for energy intake. You will need to provide
something similar for Energy Expenditure, and for Energy Balance).
Energy balance evaluation
Anthropology 220, Online
Energy Balance Final Project Information and Guidelines
PART 2
I. Energy Balance Prediction / Hypothesis: Before you collect data on your energy intake and
your energy expenditure, you will be testing a hypothesis about your energy balance. Are you in
negative, positive, or perfect energy balance? After reading this once through, you can begin to
write your active hypothesis(es) below. You will test this hypothesis in this project, and analyze
your data to explore your energy balance.
II. Dietary Recall Activity: To quantify your daily intake of food energy (kilocalories) and other
nutrients, you will use a standard 24-hour dietary survey. Once you have recorded the amounts
of different food items you have consumed, you will convert these amounts into nutrients using
a standard dietary analysis program. The details are as follows:
1. Collection of dietary data. You should record all of the foods that you eat for THREE
days (using the provided 24-hour dietary record). This will allow you to look at aspects
of variation in dietary consumption. When collecting dietary data, it is generally easier
(and more accurate) to collect the information as the day is progressing rather than
waiting until the next day to remember what you ate. Additionally, try to be as specific
as possible in recording food items and amounts. This will improve the accuracy of the
estimation of nutrient intakes.
2. Analysis of Dietary Data. From the dietary data that you have collected, you will
calculate energy and nutrient intakes using a standard dietary analysis software noted
in Part 1 of this lab. https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodtracker.aspx
As Noted above, before collecting your data, please familiarize yourself with this
software program. You will need to register to use it.
3. Recording your evaluated data. The program will give you estimates of your intake of
a variety of different nutrients. You should record your data for the following nutrients: a)
energy (kilocalories), b) protein, c) fat, and d) carbohydrates. You can explore other
nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and water), but this is not required.
II. Physical Activity Recall: To quantify your daily activity level (energy expenditure), you will
use a standard 24-hour physical survey for THREE days. These should be the same days as
your dietary recall data.
1. Collection of time allocation data. In addition to recording your diet, you should
record your physical activity for THREE days (using the provided 24-hour activity
diary), including the intensity of each activity (Low, medium, or high intensity).
2. Analysis of physical activity data. Using the charts and formulas provided below
calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), estimated physical activity level (PAL),
total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), and metabolic equivalent tasks (METs).
Estimating Daily Energy Requirements
A. Prediction of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Predictive equations of BMR (kcal/day) based on body weight (in kilograms) (kg = lbs/2.205)
Find your age group, scroll over to your biological sex. You will input your weight (wt) into the
equation to calculate your BMR.
Age group
Males
Females
10-17 years
17.5(wt) + 651
12.2(wt) +746
18-29 years
15.3(wt) + 679
14.7(wt) + 496
30-59 years
11.6(wt) +879
8.7(wt) + 829
60 years & older
13.5(wt) + 487
10.5(wt) + 596
i.
What is your predicted BMR? _______________
B. Physical Activity Levels (PAL): According to the WHO, the general ranges of PALs for
different lifestyles are:
Physical Activity Levels (PAL)
Sex
“Survival”
Light
Moderate
Heavy
Males
1.4
1.55
1.78
2.10
Females
1.4
1.56
1.64
1.82
i.
What is your estimated PAL based on your particular lifestyle?
(Simply input the appropriate PAL from the chart above).
___________
ii.
With the BMR and general PAL values calculated above, find your estimated
TDEE using the formula below. This formula will provide you with a predicted
value of your energy expenditure based on body weight and activity level.
Total energy expenditure (TDEE) = (PAL)x(BMR)
Estimated long-term lifestyle TDEE = ____________
The TDEE you just calculated is a general estimation of long-term energy expenditure
based on one’s general activity intensity. This can be one of your predictions for this
project. In order to more accurately calculate your energy expenditure for a single
day, complete the following section using the 24-hour recall activity data you
recorded for three days of data collection and the information provided in the Energy
Balance (MET values) appendix. You will need to add values together and perform
some calculations. This information is all outlined below.
Activity Categories for Estimating Daily Energy Expenditure
Individual activities are often described in terms of their metabolic costs as a ratio of basal
levels, with the metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs) describing the energetic costs of
individual activities above the basal costs. These range from sedentary (e.g., sitting or sleeping
with METs of 1.0) to strenuous activities (e.g., running up a flight of stairs or running at ~14
mph, with METs of 15 and 23, respectively). MET values will allow you to calculate how much
energy you have used in an activity for a duration of time. In order to calculate your energy
expenditure, multiple your BMR (see above) per minute by the MET value for the specific
activity and the amount of time (minutes) that you participated in that activity. NO, this is not
difficult. YES, you can understand this. A MET is only a ratio of the amount of work required to
do an activity compared to your BMR. An EE per MET value (the energy expenditure for a
particular activity) is calculated as:
BMR per day = X kcal per day
BMR per minute = BMR per day / 1440 (the number of minutes in a day)
EE per MET = (BMR per min) x (MET value per activity) x (minutes of activity)
1. For example: You went mountain biking at Mount Pisgah for 1 hour, and want to know how
much energy you expended in that hour. If your BMR is equal to 1407 kcal per day (you
calculate your predicted BMR above), divide that number by 1440 (number of minutes in a
day) to get your BMR/ minute (1407/1440 = 0.98 kcal/min). Multiply 0.98 kcal/minute by the
MET value provided for mountain biking in the appendix provided. The value is 8.5 METS,
so your calculation for energy expenditure would be 8.5 x 0.98 = 8.33. That figure, 8.33
kcal/minute, is your "cost" in terms of energy for mountain biking for one minute. Now
multiply 8.33 by the time (in minutes) you spent mountain biking (in this case 60 minutes).
The energy you expended during your ride is 8.33 x 60 = 499.8 kcal.
2. Calculate your daily Energy Expenditure. In order to calculate your energy
expenditure, use the charts in the Appendix to determine MET values for all activities
for each of the three 24-hour activity recall days. Once you have a calculated MET
value for all your activities, calculate the energy expenditure for each day by simply
adding up the MET values for a 24-hour period (12:00 am through 11:59 pm). This
will give you a calculated (estimated) amount of energy (kcal) you expended each
day. You can than average the values to get your average energy expenditure for the
3-day period. Average Energy Expenditure calculated as:
(Day 1) + (Day 2) + (Day3) = Avg. PA energy expenditure
3
i.
As opposed to the above formula for PALs, you have already calculated your
TDEE as a combination of BMR and Physical Activity. What are your daily
TDEE values for energy expenditure, and what is your 3-day average value?
How does it compare to your estimated TDEE using PAL?
Calculated TDEE for DAY 1 = ____________
Calculated TDEE for DAY 2 = ____________
Calculated TDEE for DAY 3 = ____________
AVG. Calculated TDEE
=
____________
How does the above values (using METs) compare to your estimated value using PAL?
Which value is more accurate? Why? You might discuss this in your discussion section, and you
might use the PAL values to make a prediction for your TDEE in your introduction.
Calculating your Energy Balance
Using your daily kcal input (from SuperTracker) and your daily TDEE, compare. Are you in
negative, positive, or perfect energy balance? Do the daily values differ from the average (threeday average) values? If so, why? Although it is not required, you can perform a correlation
coefficient analysis in Microsoft Excel. If so, what is you calculated r-value? What does it mean?
These represents some of the questions you can address in your Discussion section.
Calculated r-value
=
____________
Datasheet for recording Energy Intake (you will need to input this data into the software along
with weight and quantity)
Breakfast
Food items
Quantities
Lunch
Food items
Quantities
Dinner
Food items
Quantities
Snacks
Food items
Quantities
Datasheet for recording Energy Expenditure
Activity and
Intensity
MET value
Duration
(minutes)
Energy
Expenditure
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) =
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