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Doubly labelled water assessment of energy expenditure: principle, practice, and promise.
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Abstract The doubly labelled water method for the assessment of energy expenditure was first published in 1955, application in humans started in 1982, and it has become the gold standard for human energy requirement under daily living conditions. The method involves enriching the body water of a subject with heavy hydrogen ( 2 H) and heavy oxygen ( 18 O), and then determining the difference in washout kinetics between both isotopes, being a function of carbon dioxide production. In practice, subjects get a measured amount of doubly labelled water ( 2 H 2 18 O) to increase background enrichment of body water for 18 O of 2000 ppm with at least 180 ppm and background enrichment of body water for 2 H of 150 ppm with 120 ppm. Subsequently, the difference between the apparent turnover rates of the hydrogen and oxygen of body water is assessed from blood-, saliva-, or urine samples, collected at the start and end of the observation interval of 1–3 weeks. Samples are analyzed for 18 O and 2 H with isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The doubly labelled water method is the indicated method to measure energy expenditure in any environment, especially with regard to activity energy expenditure, without interference with the behavior of the subjects. Applications include the assessment of energy requirement from total energy expenditure, validation of dietary assessment methods and validation of physical activity assessment methods with doubly labelled water measured energy expenditure as reference, and studies on body mass regulation with energy expenditure as a determinant of energy balance.
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“Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the total amount of energy used in a day and is measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method (Westerterp, 2017).”
From Effect of Exercise Training on Fat Loss—Energetic Perspectives and the Role of Improved Adipose Tissue Function and Body Fat Distribution (2021) · cites this paper as Westerterp, 2017
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“The gold standard for measuring total energy expenditure is the DLW method (Westerterp, 2017).”
From Effect of Exercise Training on Fat Loss—Energetic Perspectives and the Role of Improved Adipose Tissue Function and Body Fat Distribution (2021) · cites this paper as Westerterp, 2017
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“Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the total amount of energy used Frontiers in Physiology | www.frontiersin.org 2 September 2021 | Volume 12 | Article 737709 in a day and is measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method (Westerterp, 2017).”
Method
Metadata
- Authors
- Westerterp, K. R.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University Medical Centre (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Westerterp, Klaas R.
- ORCID
- Westerterp, Klaas R.
- Venue
- European Journal of Applied Physiology
- Published
- 2017-05-15
- Volume
- 117
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1277-1285
- ISSN
- 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-6319
- 1439-6327
- PMC
- PMC5486561
- OpenAlex
- W2616634005
- Cited by
- 219
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Keywords
- doubly labeled water, energy expenditure, energy requirements, CO2 emissions, deuterium, physical activity energy expenditure, energy balance, body weight regulation
- MeSH terms
- Energy Metabolism, Humans, Oxygen Isotopes, Ergometry, Deuterium Oxide
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