American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 24, 1418-1430, Copyright © 1971 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Determining energy costs of agricultural activities by respirometer and energy balance techniques

¹ From the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Guatemala, C.A

Eighteen Guatemalan agricultural workers who had received an excellent diet for 3 years prior to the study were investigated in regard to body composition, energy cost of work of 37 agricultural activities, dietary intake, time-motion studies, and energy balance. A detailed description of the methodology used and of the results obtained is presented.

The subjects' body composition was normal, except for only two relatively obese individuals. However, muscle mass was smaller than that determined in a group of normal military academy students. The energy cost of work of the various activities measured agreed with published values from both developed and developing countries, except for the results published from India, which were lower. Caloric balance was, on the average, –138 kcal/day, and mean weight loss, –29 g in 3 days.

In 14 of the 18 subjects studied, there was a high correlation between pulse taken for 15 sec after the end of each activity and oxygen consumption. In general, respiratory minute volume agreed better with Vo₂ than pulse, following an essential linear regression, except in severe exercise situations.

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