What is metabolic testing?
Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly how many calories you need each day to achieve your weight loss goals? Mercy Health offers a resting metabolic test that can help you understand how your metabolism is working. The test will evaluate how well your body is converting fat into energy, your aerobic threshold, your VO2 max as well as resting metabolic rate.
How is a metabolic test performed?
During the test, you will breathe through a tube for approximately 10 minutes while we measure your resting metabolic rate (RMR), the number of calories your body would burn if you sat in a chair all day.
After the test, the Mercy Health team will factor in your age, weight and activity level to determine if your metabolism is low, normal or high. We will then give you a detailed printout listing your unique Target Caloric Zones that outlines the exact number of calories you need to lose, maintain or even gain weight. After you know the target number you’re shooting for, you can closely monitor the number of calories you consume each day to maintain your ideal weight.
Benefits of metabolic testing
By knowing the maximum number of calories, you can take in every day, you can develop a weight loss or maintenance program that will be effective for you. Following the plan, you develop with your Mercy Health team, your body will feel fuller and satisfied after eating. By following a structured eating schedule, you can also raise your resting metabolic rate over time so your body naturally burns more calories each day.