Changes in Energy Expenditure in Response to Physical Activity in Healthy Adults

Recruiting now

Conditions studied: Physical Activities

In brief

This study investigates how short, high-intensity body-weight exercises affect energy use in healthy young adults. The focus is on resting metabolic rate (RMR), total energy expenditure (TEE) and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), measured with a portable indirect calorimetry system (COSMED K5). Participants will be 14 volunteers, seven women and seven men aged 18 to 30 years, recruited from the academic community of the Medical University of Białystok. Each subject will first undergo basic screening, including ECG, blood pressure, and body composition. Measurements will be taken in three phases. In the resting phase, RMR will be recorded after fifteen minutes of quiet sitting. In the exercise phase, participants will perform squats, burpees, or a plank for one minute at maximum effort or sustained position while energy use is continuously monitored. In the recovery phase, EPOC will be measured immediately after exercise to capture short-term changes. Oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, and oxygen saturation will be tracked throughout the session. Environmental conditions such as room temperature and humidity will be standardized, and participants will avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy physical activity at least 24 hours before testing. The main aim is to determine whether even one minute of exercise can meaningfully alter EPOC steady state parameters, and to compare the energy cost of different exercise types. The data will be analyzed in relation to anthropometric variables and cardiopulmonary function. Results are expected to improve understanding of short-term energy dynamics and may support more precise recommendations in pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiology, sports medicine, and nutrition. By providing reliable measurements of caloric cost in simple exercises, the study can help design safer and more effective training, rehabilitation, and weight control programs.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07529132
Run by: Medical University of Bialystok
People needed: 20
Starts: 2025-09-01
Expected to finish: 2026-12-01
Last updated by the study team: 2026-04-14

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 30. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Age 18-30 years
Healthy volunteers without chronic diseases
Normal resting ECG (regular sinus rhythm, 60-90 bpm)
Normal blood pressure according to ESC guidelines
Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if…

Chronic diseases or musculoskeletal injury within the past 6 months
Use of tobacco or nicotine products within the past 6 months
Blood donation >20 mL (except diagnostic) within the past 6 months
Use of narcotics, sedatives, or dietary supplements (e.g., creatine) within the past 2 weeks
Active infection, fever, or acute illness at the time of study
Inability to comply with study instructions (dietary restrictions, abstinence from alcohol/caffeine, exercise restrictions)

Where it is running

II Departemnt of Lung Diseases, Lung Cancer, and Internal Medicine — Bialystok, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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