Metabolic Testing With MetaCheck

Have you struggled to lose, gain, or even maintain weight and no matter how much or how little you eat the scale just isn’t going the direction you want it to? Many people attribute their struggles with weight to a “slow” or “fast” metabolism, but you can’t know for sure what’s going on if you don’t know how many calories your body is burning.

What is Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)?

Metabolism is the process of converting food (calories) into energy. The efficiency with which your body does this is referred to as your metabolic rate. Many factors affect a person’s metabolic rate which makes each of us have a highly unique RMR number:

  • Body size/body weight – larger bodies needs more calories to sustain life
  • Age – metabolism slows with age
  • Body composition – muscle burns more calories than fat
  • Hormone levels – conditions of the thyroid may affect your metabolism
  • Gender – men typically have faster metabolisms because they’re generally larger
  • Genetics – research suggests your genes may play a role in your metabolism
  • Physical activity – exercise increases muscle mass and helps your body burn calories faster
  • Chronic diseases – any disease that makes it harder for the body to function (lung or kidney disease)

To learn more, take a look at this Metabolic Rate Testing handout

What is Metabolic Testing?

A metabolic test shows how many calories you burn each day and includes your RMR + Lifestyle + Exercise. Metabolic Testing is a useful tool to understand your body’s unique nutritional needs in order to determine a precise caloric prescription to help you achieve your goals; whether it be to lose, maintain, or gain weight.

Why Test Your Metabolic Rate?
  • RMR shows you precisely how many calories your body actually burns each day.
  • Identifying your RMR allows us to establish a unique caloric target that includes your RMR plus lifestyle and exercise to help you reach your weight goals.
  • Screening for a slowed metabolism can explain frustrating attempts to lose weight and reveal changes in your metabolism to help troubleshoot plateaus
Who Should Test Metabolic Rate?

Those struggling with weight gain, loss or maintenance should check their metabolism, as well as those who wonder ”is it slow?”, ”is it fast?”, or ”what do I burn?”

How Does the Test Work?

Every calorie a person consumes requires a fixed amount of oxygen to be converted to energy. Our KORR MetaCheck Analyzer measures the oxygen you consume to calculate the calories you burn. When you breathe into the sterile, disposable MetaBreather, your exhaled air is collected and analyzed using a one-way valve that passes through a hose into the machine. A report then prints with your unique RMR and from there we can work on creating a plan for the Energy Balance needed to achieve your specific goals.

Preparing For The Metabolic Test
  • Avoid eating 4 hours before testing
  • Avoid exercising the day of testing
  • Try to avoid stimulants (caffeine) prior to testing
  • Relax as much as possible during the test
  • Seal your lips tightly around the mouthpiece

Our Dietitian