Resting energy expenditure values assessed by a multi-sensor armband show a low accuracy in obese subjects

SummaryBackground & aimsResting energy expenditure (REE) values computed upon estimation equations often show an insufficient accuracy in obese subjects. The multi-sensor SenseWear Pro Armband™ (SWA) may provide more accurate REE values. Here, we tested the accuracy of the SWA based REE measurements with reference to REE values obtained by indirect calorimetry (IC) in obese subjects.MethodsA total of 188 obese women (BMI: 41.4 ± 6.1 kg/m2, age: 41.2 ± 12.7 years) and 76 obese men (BMI: 43.9 ± 6.5 kg/m2, age: 44.7 ± 12.5 years) underwent an IC for REE assessment and simultaneously wore the SWA.ResultsMean REE-SWA values were not significantly different from REE-IC in women (p = 0.066) and men (p = 0.782) and were significantly correlated with REE-IC values (women: r = 0.58, p < 0.001; men: r = 0.73, p < 0.001). However, the SWA provided REE values that deviated less than 10% from corresponding REE-IC values in only 50.0% of the women and 68.4% of the men. Respective percentages of accurate REE values were similar or even better when calculated upon 4 widely used estimation equations.ConclusionsThe SWA does not provide more accurate REE values than established estimation equations in obese subjects. Therefore, the SWA does not present a reliable alternative to IC for measuring REE in this population.