Metabolic Test Day

I had some metabolic test done the other day with Metfit. We measured my RMR, RQ, and partial VO2. We didn’t run me all the way out on the VO2 test. We were mostly looking for the crossover spot. This is where you switch over to burn carbohydrates as your primary fuel source.
   We started with the Tanita scales to get my weight and percentage of body fat. I weighed 170lbs and my body fat was measured at 7.2%. I’m 5‘ 10.5“ tall. My age is 53.

Here is the Tanita scales used to measure weight and percentage of body fat.

Me standing on the scales.

Here are the results from the measurement. 170lbs and 7% Body Fat.

Next I got hooked up to the Korr metabolic cart to get my RMR.

   I tried to read a book while doing the RMR test. It takes about 20 minutes to do the test. This is the number of calories I burn at rest. If I did nothing else but sit I would burn this number of calories. This test also shows my Respiratory Equation Ratio (RER). RER shows what percentage of fats and carbohydrates you are burning as a fuel source.

    The last test we did was to find my crossover point. This where we find out at what heart rate do I start using more carbohydrates as a fuel source than fats. This is a very important number to know. knowing this number can allow you to retrain your body to burn more fat at a higher heart rate. This number will tell you what heart rate to run at so you are burning primarily fats as your fuel source. This way you can preserve you glycogen stores until later in a race. You can also use this number to help you lose body fat.

    The testing showed that I was a good fat burner. My RMR was 16% higher than the average person my size and age. This is more good news. It projected my RMR at 1915 Calories. My RER was .79 which means I am burning more fats than carbohydrates while resting. I’m burning 70% fat and 30% carbohydrates at rest.

   My VO2 tested rated my fitness level as superior. My crossover point was at a heart rate of 144bpm. By calculations my crossover rate should be about 127bmp.

To me this is one of the most important pieces of data from the testing. This is my RMR/RER testing and it shows that I am an efficient fat burner. I am tapped into my fat stores as I sit and do nothing. I'm getting 70% of the energy I'm burning from my fat stores. This comes from a good diet and proper exercise. Its important to me because I can't use a formula to calculate RER. I have to have a machine to measure the RER. I can use the Harris-Benedict equation to calculate RMR somewhat accurately. But doing it with the Korr machine is more accurate.

This is Tanya's results. It shows that she is burning only 49% fats. The other 51% of energy is coming from carbohydrate stores. The means as her blood sugar drops her brain is going to demand more sugar. She is going to feel hungry faster than I am because her brain will sense the blood sugar drop and signal the hormones that tell her to eat. They are going to make her crave carbohydrates. Chronic Cardio at too high of a heart rate in a calorie restricted state is what will cause your body to become inefficient at accessing your fat stores. How can we retrain our body to use fats more and become a fat burning machine? Its not green coffee bean extracts Dr. Oz.

This is my VO2 test where we found my crossover point. The point is highlighted in green. My target heart rate is 144bpm. This number is important to me because I can work on improving this number so I can run at a higher heart rate and stay in a fat burning mode.

This is Tanya's VO2 test and it shows her target heart rate highlighted in green. Her target heart rate is 126bpm. This is important for her because this is the heart rate she will train at to reset her body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates.

Here is an overview of some of the results. I've circled a couple of important pieces of information. My RMR is 1915 calories per day. This is if I did nothing by sit all day. The other thing I circled was my comparison graph. My RMR is 16% higher than most people my size and age.

This is Tanya's overview. Her RMR is 1166 calories per day if she was to do nothing but sit all day. The really bad news is that this is 15% lower than most people her age and size. Eating a healthy diet with the right amount of calories and exercising in her target heart rate zone will improve these numbers.

   I think Metabolic Testing is important for anyone wanting to lose body. It is also important for athletes so they can improve their performance. Because with out these numbers you are really sort of guessing at some important numbers. Because without this testing you can't know your RER.

   I'll be posting another blog to follow up this story in the near future. I'll be posting again on this subject in 6 weeks when we retest to see how we have improved our numbers.