Funding The project was supported logistically by the French Polar Institute and funded by the PEW fellowship to Y.R.-C., the WWF-UK, and the Zone Atelier Antarctique et Terres Australes from the CNRS. D.M.W. received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska‐Curie Individual Fellowship Grant Agreement No. 748026. ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF
Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) account for more than 1% of consumption of electricity in Europe, one of the largest shares of energy use among public industries. The aim of ENERWATER is to provide measuring tools to quantify the energy consumption of WWTPs and to elaborate the standards to compare and ultimately optimise the operation of WWTPs. The methodology is demonstrated on 50 WTTPs, whose energy consumption is thoroughly monitored. ENERWATER goals will be reached by i) defining the concept of energy efficiency in WWTP and the performance indicators suitable for its quantification; ii) standardising the methods for measuring energy consumption in order to ensure that comparable figures are obtained; iii) using data treatment tools to not only quantify but also diagnose the reasons for energy inefficiency and iv) proposing a global index that measures the energy efficiency of a WWTP. All these steps will eventually be part of a general methodology that can be the draft of a standard for measuring energy efficiency in WWTP. ENERWATER is a three-year activity that involves 9 partners (universities and companies) from 4 European countries (Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom). To ensure a fast transfer of results to the relevant actors, ENERWATER puts in contact research groups, SMEs, utilities, city councils, policy makers and industry beyond the project consortium. These actions should bring European Water Industry a competitive advantage in new products development and a faster access to markets by facilitating evidence of energy reduction, thereby fostering adoption on new technologies. ; This project is carried out with financial support from the H2020 Coordinated Support Action ENERWATER (grant agreement number 649819): www.enerwater.eu. Although the project's information is considered accurate, no responsibility will be accepted for any subsequent use thereof. The European Community accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the presented material, and the work hereby ...
Purpose: To compare training load and energy expenditure during an 8-week military BT period among individuals having different fitness level using objective measurements in an authentic environment. Methods: Thirty-four voluntary male conscripts (age 19.1±0.3 years) were divided into three training groups (inactive, moderate, active) by their reported physical activity (PA) level evaluated by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) prior to military service. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and heart rate (HR) were determined by maximal treadmill test in the beginning and after 4 and 7 weeks of BT. During BT, HR monitors and accelerometers were used to measure PA and energy expenditure. HR data were used to calculate the training load (TRIMP, training impulse) for each day, week and the whole BT period. Results: Training load of BT was comparable to training of competitive athletes at the highest level. The training groups differed (p<0.001-0.05) in terms of VO2max to each other (inactive 36±6, moderate 42±6, active 48±6 ml/kg/min). The conscripts in the inactive group were the most loaded during the study period (TRIMPinactive 12393±2989 vs. TRIMPmoderate 10252±1337, p<0.05 and TRIMPactive 8444±2051, p<0.01). The PA intensity of different military tasks during the BT period were low or moderate (<6MET). Conclusion: The remarkable training load during BT period is comparable to the training loads of professional athletes participating three weeks' cycling competition. The training load in basic training period was, however, primary due to duration of low intensity activities including only some high intensity military activities. In the future, measuring the training load during the military service is recommended in order to customize the physical training for conscripts regarding his/her fitness level as much as possible. ; peerReviewed
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether more energy is expended on the Universal Gym or on the Olympic Weights. Ten male volunteer students between the ages of 18 and 24 in a beginning weight training class were used for subjects. The test periods included a pre-test and a post-test. The subjects performed the military press and curls on both apparatuses. The expired air was collected in a Douglas bag; then, gas samples were taken from the bag and were analyzed for oxygen and carbon dioxide percentages. The respiratory quotient was determined from the volume of expired air and O2 and CO2 percentages. Then, the energy expended per minute was calculated. The results showed the mean of 7.627 cal/min for the Olympic Weights and 5.441 cal/min for Universal Gym. More energy was expended in using the Olympic Weights.
Objectives This study aimed to investigate the energy expenditure of common office-based tasks. The objectives were to: (a) test the classification of tasks as sedentary or light-intensity physical activity and (b) compare the energy expenditure of tasks under two postural conditions (sitting and standing). Background The sedentary nature of office work has been highlighted as a health risk, and strategies to reduce sedentary behavior at work have been developed. However, there is limited evidence to guide the utilization of sit-stand workstations in the workplace for metabolic health benefits. Method A repeated measures laboratory-based study compared the energy expenditure of common office tasks in sitting and standing using indirect calorimetry ( n = 22). Four standardized tasks (sitting/standing quietly, reading, typing, sorting paper) under two postural conditions (sitting, standing) were performed in a randomized order. Results The mean energy expenditure for all tasks in sitting and standing was <1.5 METs. There were no significant differences in the energy expenditure of doing the same task in sitting compared to standing. In a repeated measures ANOVA, task ( p < .001) had a greater influence on METs expended than posture ( p = .030). Conclusion The study confirmed that the difference in energy expenditure of tasks carried out in sitting compared to standing is negligible. Application The ubiquitous use and utility of sit-stand workstations in the workplace needs to be reviewed. Notwithstanding the potential benefits of movement that may occur naturally, this study confirmed that standing as opposed to sitting does not produce a clinically important increase in energy expenditure.
A combination of modern-day medical and military studies, together with some simple facts about the lives of Roman legionaries, allows: an examination of energy expenditure (EE) and other key physiological factors such as food and water consumption; the legionary rate of march and subsequent implications for the form of marching armies; and insights into the building of temporary marching camps. A key aim of this essay is to identify the typical, day-to-day, march velocity of a Roman army unit as it travelled along roads between marching camps and forts within its province, and also when journeying far greater distances between provinces. Efforts are also made to understand the probable march velocities and column formations for Roman units marching off-road.
The physiological responses of male low seam coal miners were measured both above and below ground to ascertain the characteristics and task demands of mining low coal in very restricted surroundings (seam height 1.2 m or lower). Aerobic capacity was estimated from measurements of expired air and heart rate taken while subjects rode a stationary bicycle. Total ventilation (as measured by a respirometer) was used to assess underground energy expenditure and oxygen consumption. Results indicate that low seam coal miners do not have higher maximum oxygen consumption values than non mining populations. Individual task analyses for oxygen uptake and kilocalorie expenditure are discussed.
The aim of this paper is two-fold: 1) to examine the determinants of residential energy expenditures and compare them on a regional level; and, 2) attempt to identify and measure the effect of possible principal-agent (PA) problems on residential energy efficiency in Austria. The results of this paper are partially based on findings from a master's thesis, which focused more directly on the PA problem. This paper expands on those results to include regional aspects in energy expenditures. A conditional demand model is regressed on a large number of variables representing housing characteristics, socio-economic factors, occupancy type, and regional characteristics sourced from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions dataset. The analysis indicates that significant regional differences exist in the determinants of residential energy expenditures and that PA problems appear to be unimportant to energy efficiency in Austria, even at the regional level. It concludes with some possible explanations as to why this is the case.
Dragon boat racing requires high physical activity levels during competition and training. The female athletic triad refers to a number of negative health consequences (e.g., amenorrhoea, low bone mineral density, and low energy availability) that may result from high physical activity in female athletes in parallel with inadequate dietary intake. This study aimed to estimate energy expenditure and dietary adequacy in female competitive dragon boat athletes. Following ethical approval, energy expenditure was assessed by use of SensewearTM armbands (which measure movement as well as galvanic heat loss) on nine dragon boat athletes preparing for the Southeast Asian Games 2013. The mean estimated energy expenditure for the athletes was 2226 ± 711 kJ/day. Mean total energy, recorded using three-day food diaries (6715 ± 2518 kJ/day) and energy availability (99 ± 56 kJ/kg/day), were low. Estimated micronutrient intake (calcium 699.3 ± 328.7 mg/day and iron 10.6 ± 4.7 mg/day) did not meet recommended daily allowances of 800 mg/day and 19 mg/day, respectively. The low intake of energy, calcium, and iron noted within this study could have negative effects on performance and short- and long-term health in female dragon boat athletes.
SummaryThe paper reviews methods, and their difficulties, in the measurement of the daily energy expenditure of rural women under field conditions in developing countries. Since all methods need to be validated against a reference method which is usually based on indirect calorimetry, examples of the use of this technique are given. The energy costs of most agricultural and daily tasks of rural women in developing countries have been measured. Large intra- and inter-individual variations in the cost of a single activity occur, so repeated measurements are needed to obtain a valid mean energy cost for a specific activity for a homogeneous group of individuals.Much work remains to be done on the assessment of the duration and the intensity of the physical activity of the rural adolescent and adult female population. Studies indicate that the workload of most rural women in developing countries is excessive and frequently associated with acute poverty.
Sedentary behavior and inadequate energy expenditure are serious global public health concerns among youngsters. The exponential growth in technology emerges as a valuable opportunity to foster physical activity, particularly through active video games. We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus to provide a comprehensive view of the literature on energy expenditure levels among adolescents while playing active video games. Among the 574 manuscripts identified at the first screening stage, 23 were retained for analysis. Ten studies were characterized by longitudinal and thirteen by cross-sectional designs. The results showed that short-term active video games elicited energy expenditure values comparable to moderate-intensity physical activity (3–6 METs). However, in intervention programs (with at least six weeks) the results indicate no significant effects of active video games on youngsters' energy expenditure levels and physical activity profiles between baseline and follow-up assessments. Overall, active video games based on sports and dance were the most used, and boys tended to achieve higher energy expenditure than girls. The diversity of methods implemented limits comparing results and drawing generalized conclusions. However, considering its attractiveness to youth, active video games might emerge as a complementary tool to traditional physical activities promoted in schools and local communities. Details regarding gender differences and contradictory results of longitudinal approaches should be considered in future research based on standardized methods.
