Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
RMR measures the number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain vital functions like breathing, circulation, and digestion.
Benefits:
- Discover your unique daily caloric needs
- Avoid under- or overeating
- Personalize your nutrition plan
- Monitor changes in metabolism over time
- Understand the effects of age, stress, or dieting on your metabolism
Active Metabolic Rate (AMR)
Active testing evaluates how your body performs under stress and physical activity to measure cardiovascular and aerobic efficiency.
Benefits:
- Pinpoint your VO₂ Max – the gold standard for aerobic fitness
- Identify your Heart Rate Zones for optimized training
- Discover your Ventilatory Thresholds – where your body shifts fuel usage
- Improve endurance, speed, and recovery
- Fine-tune your workouts for maximum efficiency and faster results
VO2 Max /Active Metabolic Testing
What is tested?
Active metabolic testing identifies your HR max, VO2 max, ventilatory thresholds 1 and 2 and will create your personalized HR zones.
How is the test performed?
The most common way this test is performed is on a treadmill or bike. Other options are also available for sports specific testing or for those who prefer an alternative machine such as elliptical or rower.
The gold standard type of test is a graded exercise test. A graded exercise involves a warm up period of 10 minutes, followed by the test in which speed or watts are increased every minute for 8-12 minutes until you decide you have reached your max effort. You will then have a 5 min cool down period. After the test, we will share with you your personalized data.
The test is performed using a VO2 master mask which is extremely accurate. Studies show that the VO2 master has an error of less than 1.1%.
Download a sample report of the VO2 max test/Active metabolic test here.
Who may be interested in testing?
VO2 max testing is excellent for individuals seeking to assess their cardiovascular fitness, enhance athletic performance, or monitor progress in fitness. However, VO2 max testing is also quite important in determining health and risk of chronic disease.
Traditionally, Vo2 testing has been very expensive and difficult to access, and reserved for the most elite athletes. However, VO2 Master has created a way for testing to be affordable and accessible.
Research consistently demonstrates that higher VO₂ max levels correlate with reduced all-cause mortality and a lower risk of chronic diseases. Elevated VO₂ max levels are linked to improved cardiovascular health, enhanced glucose metabolism, and a more robust immune system. Additionally, studies have demonstrated that individuals with higher VO₂ max levels are at a significantly reduced risk of developing heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity and other chronic diseases. Higher VI2 max levels are associated with astoundingly lower risks of all cause mortality. So, VO2 max is a profoundly strong predictor of health.
Ready for your test? Review the preparation documents here.
Resting Metabolic Rate
What is tested?
RMR tests the number of calories you burn at rest, indicating your baseline energy expenditure.
How is it tested?
You will arrive at Carpenter Family Care in the morning before you have eaten or had any caffeine. You will wear the VO2 master mask for a total of 20 minutes, 10 min to settle into a very restful state and 10 minutes for the test. Your breathing and heart rate will be measured while you rest.
Sample report:
Download a sample report of the Resting Metabolic Rate test here.
Who may be interested in testing?
Knowing your personalized resting metabolic rate is quite useful in understanding your daily caloric needs and creating meal plans. Anyone interested in personalized nutrition, exercise performance, weight loss or gain or maintenance, or overall health may be interested in testing RMR.
Ready for your test? Review the preparation documents here.
Exercise is the key to a healthy life
What if I told you that I know something that will boost your mood, help with concentration and focus, improve productivity, boost energy in the day and help you sleep at night? What if I also told you that it will increase your longevity, and not just years of life but years living an independent life? What if I told you that it will decrease your risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and many more and that it could even treat these diseases in many cases?
Well, exercise is that thing. It is not a magic pill. It takes time and effort and dedication, but the rewards are extraordinary.
There are many components of exercise including strength, flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular endurance.
One way to measure the cardiovascular benefits of exercise is through VO2 max and active metabolic testing. VO2 max is a strong predictor of cardiovascular health. Studies show a strong correlation between increased VO2 max levels and longevity and independence. Studies also so a strong correlation between increased VO2 max levels and decreased levels of chronic disease such as diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
So, VO2 max testing or active metabolic testing is not only for elite athletes, it is a solid way to assess your cardiovascular health as it relates to longevity and risk of chronic disease.
Additional Information
What are the components of VO2 max and how can it be improved?
- Pulmonary Function (Lungs)
- How effectively your lungs can take in oxygen and transfer it to the blood.
- Includes lung capacity and diffusion efficiency.
- Cardiac Output (Heart Function)
- Stroke Volume: How much blood your heart pumps per beat.
- Heart Rate: How fast your heart beats during exercise.
- VO₂ max = Cardiac Output × (a-vO₂ difference)
- Hemoglobin Levels (Blood Oxygen Transport)
- Hemoglobin carries oxygen in the blood; more hemoglobin = more oxygen transport.
- Muscle Oxygen Utilization (Mitochondrial Density)
- The muscles’ ability to extract and use oxygen, largely influenced by:
- Mitochondrial number and function
- Capillary density
- Oxidative enzymes
- The muscles’ ability to extract and use oxygen, largely influenced by:
- Genetics
- Some people are naturally predisposed to higher VO₂ max due to genetics.
How to Improve VO₂ Max
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- Alternating short bursts of intense effort (such as reaching your zone 5) with recovery periods.
- Proven to significantly increase VO₂ max.
- Steady-State low intensity Cardio (Zone 2 Training)
- Long sessions at moderate intensity help build aerobic base.
- Improves mitochondrial efficiency and fat metabolism.
- Longer Duration, Progressive Overload
- Gradually increase intensity and volume over time.
- Helps enhance stroke volume and endurance.
Strength Training
- Especially helpful for one sport athletes such as runners or cyclists to improve muscular efficiency and economy.
- Proper Nutrition & Iron Levels
- Iron is crucial for hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to your cells.
- Low iron = reduced VO₂ max.
- Ensure balanced intake of essential micro and macronutrients
- Consistent Training and Recovery
- Recovery and rest days are essential to allow for adaptation. Often the 4th week may be a recovery week if you are progressively overloading.
- Adequate sleep is necessary for recovery and improved training.