The authors describe their own methodical procedure used for estimation of energy requirements of patients with a defined nutrition. They ascribe importance to the quantitative assessment of the degree of catabolism of endogenous proteins the value of which they transform mathematically to calculate the catabolic factor with which they multiply the basal energy output calculated according to Harris-Benedict equations. At the same time they take into account also the thermogenic action of nutrients. In 28 patients with gastroenterological diseases they confronted their own procedure with indirect calorimetry and theoretical calculations using Jabor's catabolic factor and Nejedly's formula. Differences between values of their own and other theoretical calculations, as compared with the results of indirect calorimetry, nor the results of Jabor's and Nejedly's calculation as compared with those of the authors did not reach the level of statistical significance. With regard to the assembled results the authors consider the suggested procedure for estimation of energy requirements as feasible, in particular when indirect calorimetry is not available.

Keywords: Calorimetry, Indirect; Energy Metabolism; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Disorders /diagnosis/; Proteins /metabolism/