Validating measurements of how much energy your body uses
Energy Balance Within a Whole-Room Indirect Calorimeter and Its Relevance for Energy Expenditure Measures
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 |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 34 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Leipzig Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Leipzig, Saxony) |
| Trial ID | NCT07155564 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
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.
Who should consider this trial
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.
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.
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 performed: 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.
Eligibility criteria
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 this trial is running
Leipzig, Saxony
- 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
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.