A new equation developed by scientists can predict more accurately your walking energy expenditure, thus replacing the leading standardised equations used for close to half a century that were based on the assumption that one size fits all.
"Our new equation is formulated to apply regardless of the height, weight and speed of the walker. It's appreciably more accurate," said Lindsay Ludlow, a researcher at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.
The equation developed by SMU scientists, which was recently described in in the Journal of Applied Physiology, is about four times more accurate for adults and children together, and about two to three times more accurate for adults only, Ludlow said.
"The economy of level walking is a lot like shipping packages -- there is an economy of scale," said Peter Weyand, a study co-author. "Big people get better gas mileage when fuel economy is expressed on a per-pound basis," he added.
The research comes at a time when greater accuracy combined with mobile technology, such as wearable sensors, is increasingly being used in real time to monitor the body's status.
The researchers note that some devices use the old standardised equations, while others use a different method to estimate the calories burned.
