Validation of portable energy measurement system in a weather tunnel during physical activity and the influence of wind and cold

The purpose of the project is to increase knowledge about how weather factors affect the measurement accuracy of portable energy measurement systems used in field research.

Measuring oxygen uptake and energy metabolism is very common both in elite athletes and from a public health perspective. The gold standard is the Douglas Bag method, where exhaled air is collected and analyzed with very high precision.

In everyday measurements, electronic measurement systems are used that display measurement data during ongoing activity. These are available both as stationary systems, i.e. systems with large sensors and computers that are therefore only used in laboratories, and as small portable systems that can be used in field studies. In order for these portable systems to provide reliable results, they must be validated with the DB method under standardized and reproducible conditions that mimic the environment in which the systems are to be used.

Today, there is a lack of research that has examined the validity of portable systems in an environment that resembles their intended use because there is a lack of exercise physiology labs where portable energy measurement systems can be exposed to the effects of both wind and cold. The exception is the unique wind tunnel (weather tunnel) located at the Sports Tech Research Centre at Mid Sweden University. In the wind tunnel workstation there is a large rolling belt where different types of physical activities such as roller skiing, running and cycling can be carried out under the influence of controlled weather conditions in the form of selected wind speeds and temperatures.

The goal of the project is therefore to investigate how the validity of portable energy measurement systems is affected by exposure to wind and cold.

Validation of portable energy measurement system in a weather tunnel during physical activity and the influence of wind and cold is a sub-project of H3 – Multidimensional sustainability.