This study aims to evaluate the availability of surface-electrode electromyogram (EMG) and acceleration to predict energy expenditure during sedentary work with upper limb movement. The following variables were measured in 12 female subjects: oxygen consumption (VO
2), heart rate, EMG from the medial and anterior part of the deltoid muscle, and acceleration of wrist movement. The subjects were requested to perform four different sedentary tasks. In tasks 1, 2 and 3, subjects touched two points on a table (height 70 cm) alternatively. The distance between the two points was 50 cm in tasks 1 and 3, and 100 cm in task 2. The frequency of the movement was 100 touches per minute in tasks 1 and 2, and 152 touches in task 3. In task 4, the points were located vertically on a wall, so they had to move their upper limb vertically in this task. The height of the points was 10 cm below and 40 cm above the acromion height of the subject, and task frequency was 100 touches per minute. The correlation coefficient was 0.285, 0.581 and 0.676, between VO
2 and heart rates, VO
2 and acceleration, and VO
2 and EMG from the deltoid, respectively. The coefficient of determination was 0.648, when employing multiple regression analysis, with acceleration and EMG as independent variables. These results suggest that energy expenditure during sedentary work with upper limb movement can be well estimated by using the data from acceleration of wrist movement and the EMG of the deltoid.
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