Doubly labelled water for the measurement of total energy expenditure in man – progress and applications in the last decade

Summary The doubly labelled water method for the measurement of total energy expenditure is a methodology that is still maturing. Over the last 10 years, the number of publications describing its exploitation in man has remained roughly constant, at a rate of about 50 per annum. During this time, the laboratory techniques used have become more refined, particularly in the measurement of deuterium enrichment. This article details the methodological advances which have been made and presents a brief review of some recent applications.