The Lab: “Overnight Metabolic Chamber Study of Four Collegiate American-Style Football Lineman”

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Increased adiposity during football playing career increases the prevalence of post-career obesity and obesity-associated cardiovascular diseases. Lineman are often required to alter body weight to meet performance goals, but valid energy expenditure equations (EE) for athletes with high body weights and high physical activity level are lacking. Furthermore, data regarding resting energy expenditure using the gold standard methodology of whole-room indirect calorimetery (metabolic chambers) is not available. The purpose of this study was to measure energy expenditure (EE) in collegiate American-style football players (lineman) overnight. Methods: Participant’s respiratory oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production were sampled in 1-minute intervals over a 12-hour period in the metabolic chamber. Sleeping energy expenditure (sleepEE) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) were calculated for the duration of the test. Measured RMR and sleepEE were compared to predicted values from a validated prediction equations for EE based on body composition. Results: Participants (n=4) were young (19.5 ± 1.0 years old) males with a mean weight of 161.1 ± 10.2 kg (percent body fat 32 ± 3.6%).  Body composition based equations to predict RMR (3465 ± 92 kcal/day) over-estimated measured RMR by 624-± 116 kcal/day (21%) when compared to measured RMR (2841 ± 154 kcal/day). Whereas, sleep EE was under-predicted (12.6 %) for estimated sleep EE (2312± 41 kcal/day) versus measured sleepEE (2760 ± 348 kcal/day). Conclusions: Prediction equations to estimate RMR and sleepEE can over-predict or under-predict, respectively, actual EE in American-football lineman. Larger studies are needed to develop better prediction equations for young athletes with high fat mass and high levels of physical activity.

RESEARCHERS

Allerton, T., Ravussin, E., Rood, J., Irving, B., Lemoine, Jr., N., Mullenix, S., Marucci, J., Johannsen, N.

REFERENCE

Allerton, T., Ravussin, E., Rood, J., Irving, B., Lemoine, Jr., N., Mullenix, S., Marucci, J., Johannsen, N., 2020. Overnight metabolic chamber study of four collegiate American-style football lineman:  Accepted for presentation at the national ACSM conference 2020.