Accuracy of Consumer Monitors for Estimating Energy Expenditure and Activity Type
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Increasing use of consumer-based physical activity (PA) monitors necessitates that they are validated against criterion measures. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of three consumer-based PA monitors for estimating energy expenditure (EE) and PA type during simulated free-living activities. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (mean ± SD: age, 25.5 ± 3.7 yr; body mass index, 24.9 ± 2.6 kg·m) completed 11 activities ranging from sedentary behaviors to vigorous intensities. Simultaneous measurements were made with an Oxycon portable calorimeter (criterion), a Basis Peak and Garmin Vivofit on the nondominant wrist, and three Withings Pulse devices (right hip, shirt collar, dominant wrist). Repeated-measures ANOVA were used to examine differences between measured and predicted EE. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to determine reliability of EE predictions between Withings placements. Paired samples t tests were used to determine mean differences between observed minutes and Basis Peak predictions during walking, running, and cycling. RESULTS: On average, the Basis Peak was within 8% of measured EE for the entire PA routine (P > 0.05); however, there were large individual errors (95% prediction interval, -290.4 to +233.1 kcal). All other devices were significantly different from measured EE for the entire PA routine (P < 0.05). For activity types, Basis Peak correctly identified ≥92% of actual minutes spent walking and running (P > 0.05), and 40.4% and 0% of overground and stationary cycling minutes, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Basis Peak was the only device that did not significantly differ from measured EE; however, it also had the largest individual errors. Additionally, the Basis Peak accurately predicted minutes spent walking and running, but not cycling.
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Five studies (50 comparisons) reported interdevice reliability for energy expenditure, with analyzed sample sizes ranging from 13 to 29.
“Five studies (50 comparisons) reported on interdevice reliability [85,113,116,117,166], with analyzed sample sizes ranging from 13 [117] to 29 [113].”
From Reliability and Validity of Commercially Available Wearable Devices for Measuring Steps, Energy Expenditure, and Heart Rate: Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [166]
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- Authors
- WOODMAN, J. A., CROUTER, S. E., BASSETT, D. R., FITZHUGH, E. C., & BOYER, W. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Vermont (US)
- Venue
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- Published
- 2017-02
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 371-377
- ISSN
- 0195-9131 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2517084908
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 4.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Context-Aware Activity Recognition Systems
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- energy expenditure estimation, activity classification, wearable device validation, walking, running, cycling, sedentary behavior, device placement, measurement accuracy
- MeSH terms
- Activities of Daily Living, Calorimetry, Indirect, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Exercise, Young Adult, Accelerometry
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