Study of Resting Energy Expenditure and Weight Changes during Pregnancy

D Jackemeyer, Erica Forzani and Corrie Whisner*

In the present study, we have followed 4 pregnant women during pregnancy. The participants measured their resting energy expenditure (REE), weight, and activity, and recorded caloric intake. REE was measured with a mobile indirect calorimeter, BreezingTM on a weekly basis, and used to determine total energy expenditure (TEE) and daily caloric intake needs. The measured REE profiles indicated individual patterns in metabolic rate changes across pregnancy that could not be predicted by any known REE equation. The study outcomes suggest that the use of a mobile indirect calorimeter in conjunction with weight and physical activity measures allowed for the accurate estimate of caloric needs for pregnant women. The actual caloric intake (BreezingTM) was compared with the self-reported caloric intake and demonstrated to have non-significant differences in three of the four cases, and a significant difference in one of the four cases. In addition, the participants reported that knowledge gained from tracking health parameters positively affected weight gain during pregnancy and helped to gain within a healthy weight range. Furthermore, all the participants were able to fully recover their pre-pregnancy weight within the year following birth.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Resting metabolic rate; Resting energy expenditure; Energy expenditure; Weight management; Energy balance; Health parameter tracking; Obesity; Overweight

Published on: Feb 22, 2017 Pages: 16-23

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/2455-8583.000018
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