M. Houdenadeau et al., THERMOGENIC RESPONSE TO FOOD - INTRAINDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY AND MEASUREMENT RELIABILITY, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 12(5), 1993, pp. 511-516
The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and variabil
ity of the thermogenic response to food (TRF) in healthy adult subject
s. Eight healthy adults (4 men, 4 women) participated in three sets of
measurements of TRF, evaluated by indirect calorimetry with a ventila
ted hood system during 6 hours after a standardized meal. The reliabil
ity of TRF measurement was estimated using a one-way analysis of varia
nce with repeated measurements. After the 6-hour period of measurement
, the within-subject coefficient of variation for TRF was 10.7%, while
the between-subject variability was twice as high (24.1%, p < 0.01).
The overall reliability estimate of TRF was acceptable (RE greater-tha
n-or-equal-to 0.80) after a single measurement which lasted at least 6
hours postprandially, while duplicate and triplicate measurements rea
ched a similar degree of reliability in 3 hours. These results suggest
that intra-individual variability contributes little to the variabili
ty commonly seen in TRF studies, provided that the measurement period
is at least 6 hours.