NCT07529132

Changes in Energy Expenditure in Response to Physical Activity in Healthy Adults

Assessment of Changes in Energy Expanditure in Response to Short-term Physical Activity Measured by Indirect Calorymetry in Healthy Individuals

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Medical University of Bialystok · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study investigates how short, high-intensity body-weight exercises affect energy use in healthy young adults. The focus is on resting metabolic rate (RMR), total energy expenditure (TEE) and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), measured with a portable indirect calorimetry system (COSMED K5). Participants will be 14 volunteers, seven women and seven men aged 18 to 30 years, recruited from the academic community of the Medical University of Białystok. Each subject will first undergo basic screening, including ECG, blood pressure, and body composition. Measurements will be taken in three phases. In the resting phase, RMR will be recorded after fifteen minutes of quiet sitting. In the exercise phase, participants will perform squats, burpees, or a plank for one minute at maximum effort or sustained position while energy use is continuously monitored. In the recovery phase, EPOC will be measured immediately after exercise to capture short-term changes. Oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and oxygen saturation will be tracked throughout the session. Environmental conditions such as room temperature and humidity will be standardized, and participants will avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy physical activity at least 24 hours before testing. The main aim is to determine whether even one minute of exercise can meaningfully alter EPOC steady state parameters, and to compare the energy cost of different exercise types. The data will be analyzed in relation to anthropometric variables and cardiopulmonary function. Results are expected to improve understanding of short-term energy dynamics and may support more precise recommendations in pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiology, sports medicine, and nutrition. By providing reliable measurements of caloric cost in simple exercises, the study can help design safer and more effective training, rehabilitation, and weight control programs.

Conditions

• Physical Activities

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	physical activity	Participants perform short, body-weight exercises including squats, burpees, or plank while wearing a portable indirect calorimetry system (COSMED K5). Each activity lasts one minute and is carried out at maximum effort or sustained position. Energy expenditure, oxygen consumption, ventilation, and vital signs are continuously recorded during and immediately after the activity. Measurements are compared with resting metabolic rate obtained before and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption obtained after exercise to assess the acute impact of physical activity on energy use in healthy young adults.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-01
• Primary completion: 2026-11-01
• Completion: 2026-12-01
• First posted: 2026-04-14
• Last updated: 2026-04-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Poland