<p>Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production are usual measurements within the sports and training physiology. The same measurements are also common when it comes to establish the amount of energy that is used during work and to establish the intensity of work. The volume of oxygen that is consumed contra the volume of carbon dioxide that is produced can be used to calculate the metabolic rate within the human body. This calculation shows the percent relationship between carbohydrates and fat in the metabolism. </p><p>The first accurate method to measure the breathing gases for use in metabolic calculation was established in the early twenty century when the Douglas bag method was introduced. The expired air is collected in sealed bags and the volume of expired air is then analyzed when it comes to its content of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In our days several methods have been developed for automatic analysis of the breathing gases where the expired air is analyzed immediately by electronic instruments. </p><p>When it comes to the modern automatic instruments there are few scientific investigations about their reliability and that has raised questions about how accurate measurements they produce. One instrument is the Oxycon Stationary Pro which is used by Gymnastik- och Idrottshögskolan in Stockholm Sweden and several of the Swedish university hospital. In this report there has been done a practical comparison between the Douglas bag method and the automatic instrument Oxycon Stationary Pro. The comparison showed a great similarity when it come to the metabolic rate. When it comes to the respiratory gases however, the Oxycon Stationary Pro shows values up to five percent higher than the Douglas bag.</p>

Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production are usual measurements within the sports and training physiology. The same measurements are also common when it comes to establish the amount of energy that is used during work and to establish the intensity of work. The volume of oxygen that is consumed contra the volume of carbon dioxide that is produced can be used to calculate the metabolic rate within the human body. This calculation shows the percent relationship between carbohydrates and fat in the metabolism. The first accurate method to measure the breathing gases for use in metabolic calculation was established in the early twenty century when the Douglas bag method was introduced. The expired air is collected in sealed bags and the volume of expired air is then analyzed when it comes to its content of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In our days several methods have been developed for automatic analysis of the breathing gases where the expired air is analyzed immediately by electronic instruments. When it comes to the modern automatic instruments there are few scientific investigations about their reliability and that has raised questions about how accurate measurements they produce. One instrument is the Oxycon Stationary Pro which is used by Gymnastik- och Idrottshögskolan in Stockholm Sweden and several of the Swedish university hospital. In this report there has been done a practical comparison between the Douglas bag method and the automatic instrument Oxycon Stationary Pro. The comparison showed a great similarity when it come to the metabolic rate. When it comes to the respiratory gases however, the Oxycon Stationary Pro shows values up to five percent higher than the Douglas bag.