Energy Expenditure

EE: Respiratory Quotient (RQ) (2014)

• Assessment
  Can respiratory quotient (RQ) be used to detect error in a measurement of resting metabolic rate (RMR) in healthy and non-critically ill adults?

  • Conclusion

    Based on the evidence reviewed, in healthy adults who had fasted overnight (seven to 14 hours) per protocol prior to the RMR measurement, RQ ranged from 0.68 to 0.90. In addition, limited research regarding prolonged fasting (beyond 14 hours, violating protocol) reported that RQ declined with longer fasts to values as low as 0.65 after 22 hours of fasting. However, limited research reported that RQ remained below 1.0 even though subjects had eaten within the past 3.0 to 4.5 hours, violating protocol. In individuals who consumed a meal 2.5 hours prior to measurement, fasting RQ (0.79-0.81) increased by only 0.03 to 0.05. Research demonstrates that RQ has poor accuracy to evaluate feeding protocol violations.

  • Grade: II
    • Grade I means there is Good/Strong evidence supporting the statement;
    • Grade II is Fair;
    • Grade III is Limited/Weak;
    • Grade IV is Expert Opinion Only;
    • Grade V is Not Assignable.
    • High (A) means we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect;
    • Moderate (B) means we are moderately confident in the effect estimate;
    • Low (C) means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited;
    • Very Low (D) means we have very little confidence in the effect estimate.
    • Ungraded means a grade is not assignable.
  • Evidence Summary: Can respiratory quotient (RQ) be used to detect error in a measurement of resting metabolic rate (RMR) in healthy and non-critically ill adults?
    • Detail
    • Quality Rating Summary
      For a summary of the Quality Rating results, click here.
    • Worksheets
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  • Search Plan and Results: EE: Respiratory Quotient in Healthy and Non-Critically Ill Individuals 2012