What Is Metabolic Testing?

Have you been hearing about metabolic testing? If you are an athlete, a coach, a trainer, or just someone who is concerned with their physical health and wellness, chances are metabolic testing has come to your attention. But what is metabolic testing, exactly? What does it do, and why? If you are unsure of the answers to these questions, you're in the right place.

DexaFit offers many health and wellness services, and metabolic testing is one of them. This service is especially useful to athletes, coaches, and trainers, but it is also something anyone can benefit from. No matter what you do or how you feel about fitness, chances are you clicked on this article to learn more about your metabolism, how to control it, and how to keep your body healthy overall.

In order to better understand what metabolic testing is, how it's done, and why people get it, keep reading with us. We hope that by the time you're through with this article, you'll be ready to book a metabolic test at a DexaFit facility near you.

Metabolic Testing

Metabolic testing is primarily used for weight loss purposes, but there's more to it than that. Understanding metabolic testing requires you to first understand metabolism. Finicky at most times and extremely personal, metabolism varies from person to person.

At its base definition, 'metabolism' refers to the chemical processes that occur in a living organism in order to maintain life. This means that metabolism also helps with weight regulation - which is what most people associate it with. For example, a person with a high metabolism might be naturally thin, while someone with a slower metabolism might be a little heavier or hard-pressed to work out and eat well at all times to maintain their ideal weight.

However, metabolism is also responsible for just keeping you alive during day-to-day activities whether you're active, eating, or sitting on the couch. Other bodily functions such as breathing, thinking, your heart beating, and digestion are part of the chemical processes that make up metabolism because they keep you alive and functioning at all times.

With this in mind then, you can be sure that metabolic testing is a way to understand your body better as well as learn about the best ways to lose weight and maintain your ideal weight once you have it.

Metabolic testing tests for two main things: measuring the number of calories burned when at rest, known as your resting metabolic rate or RMR, and your VO2 Max, which refers to the body's maximum ability to consume oxygen during exercise. Your ability to consume oxygen is indicative of your overall physical fitness level.  

When you understand how much energy it takes to just keep you alive when at rest, you have a good idea of how much energy you need to take in and burn to maintain a healthy weight.

Metabolic testing does just that: offers you your current fitness level thanks to VO2 Max as well as a baseline of calories burned so you can plan how you'll burn calories intentionally during exercise and other activities. With this info, you can make your metabolism work for you in a whole new way.

How is Metabolic Testing Done?

Metabolic testing is fairly easy both for your RMR and your VO2 Max. The testing is conducted as thus:

• The best place to start is by making an appointment for the test at a Dexafit center nearest to you. Once you have your appointment secured, you need to prepare. Before your metabolism is measured, you must first avoid exercise for at least 12 hours prior to the test. You must also avoid food, tobacco, and alcohol for at least 5 hours prior to taking the test. When you come into the testing facility, you will sit in a chair and be fitted with a mask. You will be asked to breathe into this mask for about 10 minutes. During this time, the test will calculate the amount of oxygen you are able to consume. When you're done, a lab tech will go over your results with you, helping you pinpoint issues and areas where you attention is especially important.

• When measuring your VO2 Max, metabolic testing is looking for your fitness level, pure endurance potential, and cardiovascular degeneration.  During the VO2 Max portion of metabolic testing, you will wear a mask and a heart rate strap. The mask will be connected to Dexa's medical-grade metabolic cart. When everything is in place, you will begin walking on a treadmill or riding a bike to warm up, and then gradually increase the intensity of the exercise for the next 10-20 minutes. When the test is over, you receive your results immediately after and a tech will go over them with you. When you learn the peak of your endurance and how much oxygen you take in, you can learn how to avoid overtaxing yourself as well as how to maximize workouts.

Why Metabolic Testing is Gaining Popularity

So, why have you been hearing about metabolic testing so much lately? The test itself is nothing new and the buzz around metabolic testing has actually been around for quite a few years. Even so, it seems to be gaining popularity in the here and now and you're likely wondering why.

The truth of the matter is that weight loss is something people are always going to be interested in. No matter what you look like or how much you weigh, chances are that you're interested in losing a few pounds, building muscle, and toning up. Metabolic testing is a sure way to reach your goals because it offers you an understanding of your body that you may not have had before.

To elaborate, consider the standard health and fitness plans: eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. While these are and always will be great pieces of advice, they aren't always universal. Certain foods may not agree with certain people, certain exercises may do more harm than good to an individual, and some sleep schedules are a bit trickier than others.

Metabolic testing, then, offers you some information and insight tailored specifically for you and your body. No universalities, no wide sweeping statements, concepts, or ideas: you get the information and advice that work best for your body. For those who have dealt with stubborn weight issues and fitness uncertainties, metabolic testing can be a huge game changer.

Should You Undergo Metabolic Testing?

Now that you know what metabolic testing is and how it's done, should you do it? Of course, it's completely up to you whether you decide to try it or not, but if you do you know you are in for a plenty of benefits.

If you have been struggling with weight loss and management, are looking for new ways to push your body, or simply want to try something new for your physical fitness and overall wellness, metabolic testing could be what you're looking for. With the information metabolic testing returns, you gain a serious advantage and control over your health and wellness. You know what's happening inside so that you can work on yourself on the outside, giving you a holistic way of approaching weight management and loss.

As mentioned, people of all kinds can benefit from metabolic testing: athletes, coaches, trainers, and anyone else who just want to keep themselves healthy and fit can make metabolic testing work for them.

So, what do you say? Ready to give DexaFit a try?