Swimming Energy Expenditure and Training Dose Estimation Via Accelerometers

Current methods utilized to estimate energy expended while swimming include the following: physical activity log, doubly labeled water, measurement of oxygen consumption while swimming, and published regression equations. Each of these methods has limitations, advantages and disadvantages. More importantly, there are there are no available methods to economically, unobtrusively and accurately measure swimming energy expenditure in a free living situation. The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (2002) indicated that 61.3% of the population, aged 16 years or older, participates in some form of swimming activity. Given the participation numbers and popularity of swimming as a fitness and training activity, there is a need for an accurate, inexpensive method to quantify energy expended while swimming.

There are many web sites that allow an individual to estimate the number of calories burned in a swim training session. The majority of these sites provide estimates that do not consider the age, sex, or skill of the participant. Please see Estimates of Swimming Energy Expenditure from World Wide Web Sites for more detail what is currently available to the public.

The Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming, under the direction of Dr. Joel Stager, is investigating the use of an accelerometer (Actical accelerometer description) to estimate energy expended while swimming and describe training dose throughout the course of a swim season. An accelerometer is a small device which can be worn on the wrist, waist or leg and quantifies movement of the limbs in an effort to describe energy expended while swimming. The purpose of this investigation is to identify variables that may affect swimming energy expenditure and to develop an algorithm that allows for the quantification of energy expenditure while swimming through the use of accelerometry.

To learn more about this project visit Estimates of Swimming Energy Expenditure and Training Dose Utilizing an Omnidirectional Accelerometer .

 This project is funded by the following organizations:

• United States Masters Swimming (www.USMs.org)
• USA Swimming (http://www.usaswimming.org/usasweb/DesktopDefault.aspx )

<top>