Individual characteristics of daily energy expenditure in servicemen with limb amputations during pre-prosthetic and prosthetic rehabilitation

Introduction. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation has significantly increased the number of individuals requiring medical and professional rehabilitation, particularly servicemen with limb amputations. Rehabilitation is associated with high physical, psycho-emotional, and metabolic loads, making the monitoring of daily energy expenditure and adequate nutritional support critically important. Objective. To study the individual characteristics of daily energy expenditure in servicemen with limb amputations and the factors influencing it. Materials and Methods. The study included 53 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and ISSO patients undergoing rehabilitation in 2024-2025. Daily energy expenditure was assessed using the chronometry-table method, and statistical analysis was performed with STATISTICA 6.0 and Microsoft Excel. Results. Most patients had daily energy expenditures of 3000–4000 kcal (48.2 %), up to 3000 kcal – 35.9 %, and over 4000 kcal – 18.0 %. Patients with amputations showed higher energy expenditure per 1 kg of body weight and greater physical activity in all subgroups; the mean value exceeded that of non-amputee patients by 18.7 %. A positive correlation between energy expenditure per kg and physical activity was found (r = 0.51 and r = 0.83, p < 0.05), stronger in the non-amputee group. Elevated energy expenditure in amputee patients is associated with the specifics of rehabilitation, adaptive mechanisms, and high motivation for training. Conclusions. Servicemen with lower-limb amputations have higher daily energy expenditure and physical activity intensity during pre-prosthetic and prosthetic rehabilitation. The level of energy expenditure depends on the degree of physical activity: it is highest in patients with high rehabilitation loads and lowest in patients with temporary medical contraindications to physical exercise. Body weight significantly affects daily energy expenditure. Assessing individual energy expenditure is essential for planning dietary intake and ensuring effective rehabilitation.