Women's Health Magazine talks abouts the importance of Metabolic Testing

Numbers You Can Trust
For a foxy figure faster, count on these weight-loss formulas
Blake Miller


We don't know who coined the phrase "Numbers don't lie," but we'll bet they never counted a calorie. And if you've ever tried using math to manage the digits on your bathroom scale, you know that most diet equations don't add up. We wondered whether any of the roughly 338,000 Google hits for "weight loss formula" can actually help you look good in that black latex cat suit this Halloween. Here's the lowdown on three basics:

Daily Caloric Requirement (DCR)

Translation The math is pretty simple: Eat 500 fewer calories a day than your body requires and you'll drop a pound a week. But most online calculators (and even the pen-and-paper variety) are only 82 percent accurate (even less so if you're obese, sick, or an ethnic minority), according to the American Dietetic Association. And, says Mary Hartley, a registered nutritionist for about.com, the results can be flawed because the equation isn't tailored to the individual and because many people misjudge their fitness level. Plus, if you lose 10 pounds or more, you'll have to do the math again.

Salvation Let sites like caloriecount.about.com, mayoclinic.com, or mypyramid.gov do the work for you. All factor in activity level and are backed by health pros.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

Translation While DCR calculates calorie input (how much you need to eat), the Resting Metabolic Rate tabulates calorie output (how much you burn doing absolutely nothing). Unfortunately, the ADA says the accuracy of these formulas is 45 to 80 percent (and again, they're less accurate if you're obese).

Salvation Skip the formula and get tested by a pro; you can do this at many gyms (members pay about $50). You'll have to sit and breathe into a scubalike plastic tube while a computer records how much oxygen you inhale and how much carbon dioxide you exhale. After 12 minutes of fun, you get a printout showing you (with 95 percent accuracy) how much you burn at rest and how many cals you can consume and still ditch your saddlebags.

VO2 Max

Translation This test, often used by athletes who train for grueling events, can also be useful for noncompetitors looking to lose weight, because the result helps pinpoint a target heart rate for fat burn. The formula is nearly 100 percent accurate, as long as you don't flub the test, which requires you to run or bike at top speed, typically for 12 to 14 minutes, while wearing a gas-mask-like apparatus that measures your oxygen intake. An ill-fitting mask (it should seal around your mouth) or not reaching your peak speed on the treadmill can skew the results.

Salvation Search at vo2max testing.net for places that provide the test, which costs about $120. The test will tell you the amount of calories you burn in different heart-rate zones. Once you get your results, invest in a heart rate monitor--either one that straps around your chest (the most effective) or a watch (like the MioMotiva)--to keep tabs on your ticker as you work out within your ideal fat-blasting range.

For more information about Metabolic Testing or to schedule a test please feel free to contact me.

Why get tested for VO2max

Why get tested for VO2max/EMR (aerobic base and anaerobic threshold, Exercise Metabolic Rate) and RMR (resting metabolic rate)? By testing these two things, we can see where our bodies are from a scientific perspective, in respect to how many calories we burn at rest (RMR), and also where we are most efficient at using our fuels (fats and carbohydrates) during exercise (VO2max/EMR). By using these two things, we can adjust our diet to gain/lose/manage our weight, and we can use our heart rate as a parameter in training, to train the appropriate system(s) of the body to achieve any and all goals and aspirations that we may have regarding performance and or weight gain/loss/management.

By determining RMR, we can see how many calories our bodies burn at rest. This will be our basal metabolic rate, or, how many calories our bodies burn per day, to carry out the jobs and responsibilities of the autonomic (parasympathetic) nervous system (i.e. heartbeat, lung/respiratory function, vital organ function-kidneys, liver, brain to name a couple). Once we find this out, we can adjust the amount of calories that we take in on a daily basis to gain, lose or manage weight. We can also adjust our diet, as well as take in to account the calories we lose through exercise (if you do). This test is not just for people who are active and exercise, but also for those who do not exercise who would like to see where their metabolism is, and then from there can just adjust diet, or incorporate exercise into their lives, or both. We have a consultation after the test to discuss these possible options.

By determining VO2max/EMR, we can see at what heart rate we reach our Aerobic Base, and at what heart rate we reach our Anaerobic Threshold. We can either do a max test (this is where we completely exhaust both the aerobic and anaerobic systems of the body), or a sub max test (this would be for the de-conditioned person looking to start an exercise program). Both tests will give us great indicators of what heart rates we need to train at to produce specific adaptations in the three inherent systems of the body: the aerobic system (Slow Twitch Type I muscle fibers), anaerobic glycolitic (Fast Twitch Type IIa muscle fibers), and anaerobic CP (Fast Twitch Type IIx muscle fibers). All of these muscular systems, and their limits, are determined by the heart. Every person is different, and therefore, will have different limiting factors. Different people will have different aerobic bases and anaerobic thresholds, and their different training programs should reflect these differences appropriately.

Please contact me to get your test(s) done today!!!

VO2 max

VO2 max : "VO2 max is the maximum capacity to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise. (The derivation is V̇ - volume per time, O2 - oxygen, max - maximum). It is also called maximal oxygen consumption or maximal oxygen uptake. It is also known as aerobic capacity, which reflects the physical fitness of a person. Expressed either as an absolute rate in litres of oxygen per minute (l/min) or as a relative rate in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute (ml/kg/min), the latter expression is often used to compare the performance of endurance sports athletes. A less size-biased measure is to divide by \sqrt[3]{mass^2} rather than mass."

Measuring VO₂ max

Accurately measuring VO₂ max involves a physical effort sufficient in duration and intensity to fully tax the aerobic energy system. In general clinical and athletic testing, this usually involves a graded exercise test (either on a treadmill or on a cycle ergometer) in which exercise intensity is progressively increased while measuring ventilation and oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration of the inhaled and exhaled air. V̇O₂ max is reached when oxygen consumption remains at steady state despite an increase in workload.

[edit] Fick Equation

VO₂ max is properly defined by the Fick Equation:

VO₂max = Q(CaO₂ − CvO₂)

where Q is the cardiac output of the heart, CaO₂ is the arterial oxygen content, and CvO₂ is the venous oxygen content.

[edit] Cooper test

Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper conducted a study for the United States Air Force in the late 1960s. One of the results of this was the Cooper test in which the distance covered running in 12 minutes is measured. An approximate estimate for VO₂ max (in ml/min/kg) is:

where d₁₂ is distance (in metres) covered in 12 minutes. There also exist several other reliable tests and VO₂ max calculators to estimate VO₂ max.

[edit] VO₂ max Levels

VO₂ max varies considerably in the population. The average young untrained male will have a VO₂ max of approximately 3.5 litres/minute and 45 ml/min/kg.^[1] The average young untrained female will score a VO₂ max of approximately 2.0 litres/minute and 38 ml/min/kg.^{[citation needed]} These scores can improve with training and decrease with age, though the degree of trainability also varies very widely.^[2][3]

In sports where endurance is an important component in performance, such as cycling, rowing, cross-country skiing and running, world class athletes typically have high VO₂ maximums. World class male athletes, cyclists and cross-country skiers typically exceed 80 ml/kg/min and a rare few may exceed 90 ml/kg/min for men and 70 ml/kg/min for women. Three time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond is reported to have had a VO₂ max of 92.5 at his peak - one of the highest ever recorded, while cross-country skier Bjørn Dæhlie measured at an astounding 96 ml/kg/min.^[4] It should also be noted that Dæhlie's result was achieved out of season and that physiologist Erlend Hem who was responsible for the testing stated that he would not discount the possibility of the skier passing 100 ml/kg/min at his absolute peak. By comparison a competitive club athlete might achieve a VO₂ max of around 70 ml/kg/min.^[1] World class rowers are physically very large endurance athletes and typically do not score as high on a per weight basis, but often score exceptionally high in absolute terms. Male rowers typically score VO₂ maximums over 6 litres/minute, and some exceptional individuals have exceeded 8 l/min.

To put this into perspective, thoroughbred horses have a VO₂ max of around 180 ml/min/kg. Siberian dogs running in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race sled race have VO₂ values as high as 240 ml/min/kg.^[5]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia