Scientists at the University of Bath are seeking volunteers to take part in a study to determine how wearable technology can help measure the energy people use from day to day.
The research team from the university’s Department for Health are staging the six-week study to determine the energy used by men and women aged between 40 and 70.
The project will harness existing wearable tech – in this case an armband with a small-but-sophisticated device that records 50-plus pieces of information needed to accurately calculate daily calorie expenditure.
Participants will be asked to wear the monitor for 24 hours for a total of 42 days. The device can be sent in the post with all input carried out remotely in a Covid-secure way.
The researchers will provide a personalised copy of data and feedback to those taking part so they can see how their daily calorie expenditure compares to other similar people in the study findings.
Lead researcher Liam Beasley said: “We know surprisingly little about how people use energy, and this is especially the case in middle-aged adults. This is a major knowledge gap given how important this period of life is to health and wellbeing.
“This is a simple study to be involved in for people which only requires them to wear an armband which will automatically record and calculate daily calorie expenditure. Once complete we can provide detailed and personalised analysis for each participant.”
Prof Dylan Thompson from the Department for Health added: “This research will help to understand the similarities and differences between people in terms of how they use energy on a day-to-day basis.
“It will ultimately enable us to improve the way in which technology can be used to help people manage their health”.
As well as wearing armband, participants will be asked to keep a daily log of time spent exercising or sleeping – this should take no more than three to five minutes a day.
Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, the research team are asking all participants to measure and report body weight on the first and final day of the six-week period.
This will be done by sending the research team a photograph of their personal floor scales – those without access to floor scales will be asked to delay their trial until guidelines allow them to visit the university campus.
Anyone interested in taking part can contact Liam Beasley at LAB90@bath.ac.uk for more information.
The University of Bath is one of the UK's top research universities with a 2014 study by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) defining 87% of its research as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.
Recent projects range from developing fuel efficient cars of the future to identifying infectious diseases more quickly and working to improve the lives of female farmers in West Africa.
