Physical activity level
Encyclopedia
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. 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.
, non-lactating
adult as that person's total energy expenditure in a 24-hour period, divided by his or her basal metabolic rate
(BMR):
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.
Basal metabolic rate
Basal Metabolic Rate , and the closely related resting metabolic rate , is the amount of daily energy expended by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state...
, it can be used to compute the amount of food energy
Food energy
Food energy is the amount of energy obtained from food that is available through cellular respiration.Food energy is expressed in food calories or kilojoules...
a person needs to consume in order to maintain a particular lifestyle.
Definition
The physical activity level is defined for a non-pregnantPregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, non-lactating
Lactation
Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process occurs in all female mammals, however it predates mammals. In humans the process of feeding milk is called breastfeeding or nursing...
adult as that person's total energy expenditure in a 24-hour period, divided by his or her basal metabolic rate
Basal metabolic rate
Basal Metabolic Rate , and the closely related resting metabolic rate , is the amount of daily energy expended by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state...
(BMR):
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:| Lifestyle | Example | PAL |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely inactive | Cerebral Palsy Cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement.... patient |
<1.40 |
| Sedentary | Office worker getting little or no exercise | 1.40-1.69 |
| Moderately active | Construction worker or person running Running Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground... 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 Bicycle racing Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport... |
>2.40 |
External links
- PAL Calculator computes the physical activity level based on a list of daily activities.