Validating measurements of how much energy your body uses
Official title: Energy Balance Within a Whole-Room Indirect Calorimeter and Its Relevance for Energy Expenditure Measures
Run by University of Leipzig · NCT07155564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether measuring energy expenditure in a whole-room calorimeter gives healthy adults a more accurate guide to how much to eat to keep their weight stable.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 49 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Leipzig Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Leipzig, Saxony) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 26, 2025 |
| Main results expected | January 31, 2029 |
| Study ends | January 31, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | September 14, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07155564 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy adults without chronic metabolic disease, with BMI between 18.5 and 39.9 kg/m², able to perform moderate exercise and attend multiple in-person 24-hour calorimeter visits are the intended participants.
✕Probably not a fit
People with diabetes or prediabetes, recent large weight change, BMI <18.5 or ≥40, pregnancy or breastfeeding, vegan diets, or those who cannot tolerate being in a calorimeter or wearing accelerometers are unlikely to benefit from participating.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The study first performs technical validation of two whole-room indirect calorimeters using repeated 24-hour methanol burns. Healthy participants follow a weight-maintaining diet and complete multiple 24-hour stays in the calorimeters to compare measured energy expenditure with common estimation formulas. After the controlled stays, participants are offered an ad libitum buffet to compare measured energy needs with real food intake, and additional stays assess energy expenditure during increased physical activity. Weight is reassessed up to one year after participation to monitor longer-term outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could allow clinicians to give more accurate, individualized calorie targets to help people maintain weight and prevent weight gain.
How similar studies have gone: Whole-room indirect calorimetry and methanol-burn technical validation are established methods with prior successful use, though applying them to directly tailor intake and test ad libitum intake vs. formulas is less commonly done.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Abilty to provide informed consent * Written declaration of consent * Healthy study participants * Able to perform moderate physical exercise using a bike ergometer * Women: continuous contraception/fullicular phase of menstrual cycle Exclusion Criteria: * Weight change \> 5 kg or 5% of body weight in the last 3 months * Nicotine abuse, Alcohol/drug abuse * Strenuous physical activity in everyday life \> 1 h per day * Body mass index \< 18.5 kg/m² or ≥ 40 kg/m² * Chronic diseases with an impact on energy expenditure * Food allergy/intolerance, vegan diet * Circumstances that speak against the application of wearable accelerometers (e.g. silicone contact allergy) * Impaired fasting glucose, diabetes mellitus and prediabetes * Pregnancy/breastfeeding * Claustrophobia * Refusal to communicate incidental findings
Where it's running
-
Department of Internal Medicine, Clinic for Endocrinology, Nephrology and Rheumatology, University of Leipzig
Leipzig, Saxony, Germany Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Sascha Heinitz, MD — University of Leipzig
- Study coordinator: Sascha Heinitz, MD
- Email: sascha.heinitz@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
- Phone: +49 341 97 13389
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.