Physical activity level
{{Short description|Way of expressing a person's daily physical activity}}
{{Tone|date=February 2024}}
File:Soldier running in water.jpg triathlete in 2005.]]
The physical activity level (PAL) is a way to express a person's daily physical activity as a number and is used to estimate their total energy expenditure.{{cite web |last= |first= |date=1994-11-04 |title=Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) and Physical Activity Levels (PAL) in Adults |url=https://getfitup.com/blogs/training/total-energy-expenditure-and-physical-activity-levels |accessdate=2024-05-23 |work=getfitup.com |publisher=Getifitup.com}} In combination with the basal metabolic rate, it can be used to compute the amount of food energy a person needs to consume to maintain a particular lifestyle.
Definition
The physical activity level is defined for a non-pregnant, non-lactating adult as that person's total energy expenditure (TEE) in a 24-hour period, divided by his or her basal metabolic rate (BMR):{{cite web |title=Human energy requirements: Principles and Definitions |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e04.htm |work=Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2004 |accessdate=2009-10-15}}
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The level of physical activity 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:{{cite web |title=Human energy requirements: Energy Requirement of Adults |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5686e/y5686e07.htm |work=Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2004}}
| class="wikitable" border=1 | ||
| 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 |