Abstract
Understanding the complex factors influencing mammalian metabolism and body weight homeostasis is a long-standing challenge requiring knowledge of energy intake, absorption and expenditure. Using measurements of respiratory gas exchange, indirect calorimetry can provide non-invasive estimates of whole-body energy expenditure. However, inconsistent measurement units and flawed data normalization methods have slowed progress in this field. This guide aims to establish consensus standards to unify indirect calorimetry experiments and their analysis for more consistent, meaningful and reproducible results. By establishing community-driven standards, we hope to facilitate data comparison across research datasets. This advance will allow the creation of an in-depth, machine-readable data repository built on shared standards. This overdue initiative stands to markedly improve the accuracy and depth of efforts to interrogate mammalian metabolism. Data sharing according to established best practices will also accelerate the translation of basic findings into clinical applications for metabolic diseases afflicting global populations.
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Acknowledgements
Funding is provided by NIH grants R01DK133948 and P30DK135043 (A.S.B.), P30DK056350 (S.R.S.), U2CDK135074 (K.L.), U2CDK135073 (J.A. and L.L.), U2CDK135066 (C.E.), U2CDK134901 (G.S.) and FAPESP grant #2013/07607-8 (L.A.V.).
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In hopes of creating a set of global standards for preclinical indirect calorimetry experiments, we assembled the International Indirect Calorimetry Consensus Committee (IICCC). The initial composition includes 79 members in 18 countries. The effort and initial draft grew from the NIH-funded Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers Reproducibility Working Group. Input was then solicited from calorimetry leaders within the NIDDK-Diabetes Research Centers, NIDDK-Nutrition Obesity Research Centers, International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium and additional experts at independent sites. All members enthusiastically support the need for greater standards in indirect calorimetry research and will continue to actively promote and maintain these standards. A draft of the guide was shared by the IICCC chair (A.S.B.). Written comments and suggestions from committee members were received, including revision assistance by C.D.H. Virtual discussion meetings were held. The submitted manuscript reflects changes from these discussions, editorial suggestions from Nature Metabolism and peer reviewers.
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M.D., K.S. and J.R.Z. organized an indirect calorimetry course, and travel was provided to C.D.H. as an indirect calorimetry course guest lecturer by Sable Systems International. J.R.S. consults for TSE International. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
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Nature Metabolism thanks Dominik Lutter, Jae Myoung Suh and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Alfredo Giménez-Cassina, in collaboration with the Nature Metabolism team.
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Banks, A.S., Allison, D.B., Alquier, T. et al. A consensus guide to preclinical indirect calorimetry experiments. Nat Metab 7, 1765–1780 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01360-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01360-4
