OBJECTIVE: Determine the energy expenditure (EE) in terms of caloric cost and metabolic equivalents (METs) of two sessions of an exercise protocol. METHODS: Fifteen subjects (51.0 ± 5.5 years) performed the exercise sessions (80min), composed of warm-up, walking and flexibility exercises (Session A) and warm-up, walking and local muscular endurance exercises (Session B). Heart hate (HR) was measured during each part of the sessions. In laboratory environment, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and oxygen uptake at rest and exercise conditions (using mean HR obtained in classes) were measured on different days, using indirect calorimetry. Exercise METs were obtained by dividing VO2 in exercise (mL.kg-¹.min-¹) by VO2 at rest (mL.kg-¹.min-¹). The EE of the exercises was calculated by the formula: MET x Weight (kg) x Time (min)/60. The results were analyzed by ANOVA with Tukey post hoc test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: One MET for this group was 2.7 ± 0.1mL.kg-¹.min-¹. The METs means in the exercises were 4.7 ± 0.8 (warm-up); 5.8 ± 0.9 (walking) and 3.6 ± 0.7 (flexibility) in session A, and 4.6 ± 1.2 (warm-up); 5.6 ± 1.0 (walking) and 4.8 ± 1.0 (local muscular endurance exercises) in Session B. The training sessions showed similar energy cost (A: 398 ± 86.72 kcal and B: 404 ± 38.85 kcal; p > 0.05). None of the activities were classified as having vigorous intensity (> 7 METs). There were no differences in VO2 between walking (15.6 ± 2.8 or 15.4 ± 2.6 mL.kg-¹.min-¹) and local muscular endurance exercises (13.2 ± 2.9 mL.kg-¹.min-¹), although both were higher (p > 0.05) than flexibility exercises (10.1 ± 2.2 mL.kg-¹.min-¹). CONCLUSION: The proposed protocol achieves the physical activity needed by healthy adults to improve and maintain health, by their structure, moderate intensity, duration, frequency and caloric expenditure.
exercise; energy expenditure; MET
