Physical activity level
Oxford Food & Nutrition Dictionary:
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physical activity level
PAL
Total energy cost of physical activity throughout the day, expressed as a ratio of basal metabolic rate. Calculated from the physical activity ratio for each activity, multiplied by the time spent in that activity. A desirable PAL for health is considered to be 1.7; the average in the UK is 1.4.
Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine:
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Physical Activity Level
PAL; Physical Activity Index; PAI
Daily physical activity; the sum of the cost of all the physical activities over a 24 hour period. PAL = total energy required over 24 h/BMR over 24 h. According to World Heath Organization statistics, the desirable PAL for cardiovascular health is 1.7; the average PAL in the UK is 1.4, with only 13% of women and 22% of men achieving a PAL of 1.7. For those engaged in hard physical activity, the PAL is 2.14. In a group of novice athletes training for the half marathon, the average PAL at the start of training was 1.66, and after 10 weeks of training it was 2.03.
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Physical activity level
The physical activity level (PAL) is a way to express a person's daily physical activity as a number, and is used to estimate a person's total energy expenditure[1]. In combination with the basal metabolic rate, it can be used to compute the amount of food energy a person needs to consume in order to maintain a particular lifestyle.
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Definition
The physical activity level is defined for a non-pregnant, non-lactating adult as that person's total energy expenditure in a 24-hour period, divided by his or her basal metabolic rate (BMR)[2]:
The physical activity level can also be estimated based on a list of the (physical) activities a person performs from day to day. Each activity is connected to a number, the physical activity ratio. The physical activity level is then the time-weighted average of the physical activity ratios.
Examples
The following table shows indicative numbers for the Physical activity level for several lifestyles[3]:
| Lifestyle | Example | PAL |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely inactive | Cerebral Palsy patient | <1.40 |
| Sedentary | Office worker getting little or no exercise | 1.40-1.69 |
| Moderately active | Construction worker or person running one hour daily | 1.70-1.99 |
| Vigorously active | Agricultural worker (non mechanized) or person swimming two hours daily | 2.00-2.40 |
| Extremely active | Competitive cyclist | >2.40 |
References
- ^ "Total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity levels (PAL) in adults: doubly-labelled water data". Energy and Protein requirements, Proceedings of an IDECG workshop. United Nations University. 1994-11-04. http://www.unu.edu/unupress/food2/uid01e/uid01e08.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ "Human energy requirements: Principles and Definitions". Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2004. http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e04.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ "Human energy requirements: Energy Requirement of Adults". Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2004. http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e07.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
External links
- PAL Calculator computes the physical activity level based on a list of daily activities.
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Oxford Food & Nutrition Dictionary
A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine
The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.
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