Your metabolic rate is a measure of the amount of food or stored fat your body converts to energy in a day. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the amount of energy needed to maintain your basic bodily functions while at rest. This is the number of calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day long! Resting metabolic rate is the largest component of your body’s daily caloric budget. This number is crucial when restricting calories for weight loss and even small errors can result in large, long term consequences. While there are plenty of RMR calculators on the internet, none provide personalized accuracy, and instead are all based on statistically significant predictions. Even the best RMR equations only measure with 10% accuracy. While 10% is statistically acceptable, for the individual wanting to lose weight an RMR estimate that is 10% higher (2200 kCals) than an actual measurement of 2000 kCals a day would be significant. That additional caloric intake would result in 21 pounds gained in one year! Our test gives you a precise measurement of your personal daily caloric needs, no guesswork.

What is a Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)?

 

Resting metabolic rate is the number of calories, or amount of energy, your body needs to perform basic bodily functions while at rest. This includes things such as respiration, digestion, maintaining the function of your nervous and renal systems, etc…

 

Why should I get my resting metabolic rate tested?

 

Pinpointing your daily caloric needs will determine exactly how many calories you may consume to lose or maintain weight.

 

How Does Metabolic Testing Work?

 

Indirect calorimetry (a measurement of metabolic rate) relies on the fact that burning one calorie (Kilocalorie) requires 208.06 milliliters of oxygen. Because of the direct relationship between caloric burn and oxygen consumed, measurements of oxygen uptake (VO2) and caloric burn rate are virtually interchangeable. The process requires the volume and oxygen concentration of all the air you breathe out while resting quietly be measured, this then reveals your RMR.

 

Will cardio increase my RMR?

 

No. Your body utilizes fat as its primary fuel source during low intensity aerobic exercise but because you are not significantly increasing your lean muscle mass during aerobic exercise you do not significantly increase you RMR.

 

Will strength training increase my RMR?

 

Yes. Strength training promotes changes in body composition, decreasing body fat while increasing lean muscle mass therefor it increases or at least maintains your RMR as you lose body fat. Fat free or lean muscle mass is a key determinant of resting metabolic rate.

 

What do I need to do to prepare for my RMR test?

 

Avoid eating a meal 4 hours prior to the test. Avoid exercise on the day of the test. Avoid consuming caffeine on the day of the test.

 

What do I do during the test?

 

Bring a magazine, book, or you phone, all you will need to do during the test is sit back, relax, and breathe through a tube for just under 15 minutes.