RMR stands for resting metabolic rate. An RMR test is a rather simple and non-invasive procedure that accurately evaluates the amount of calories your body burns while at rest in order to perform its vital functions. During an RMR test, a device analyzes the composition of your breath, determines your oxygen consumption, CO2 expression, and measures the rate at which you consume energy.
What is RMR?
Your resting metabolic rate (RMR for short) is the number of calories your body expends while at rest. Like a bear hibernating, we still have caloric needs to be met that have nothing to do with our activity. It’s one of the factors that make up your total metabolic rate, comprising 65-70% of the total energy (calories) your body burns per day outside of daily activity and exercise.
While your metabolism itself may not be why you are unable to lose weight, it’s always good to get a better understanding of it to achieve your weight loss goal. And the most appropriate way to find out more about your metabolism, particularly your metabolic rate, is by undergoing a simple resting metabolic rate test a.k.a. metabolism test.
Put simply; metabolism refers to all the energy needed for bodily functions necessary for life – such as breathing, brain function, a beating heart, etc.
How does the RMR test work?
The resting metabolic rate test is a non-invasive test that determines how many calories your body requires at rest to perform its vital functions. The test is performed while fasting, meaning you need to avoid food and beverages other than water for a minimum of 8 hours (ideally 12 hours) before the test.
Doing exercise the morning before testing is also restricted, and it’s advised that you abstain from heavy training 24 hours before your test.
Lastly, it’s best to test when you are not under a lot of stress, and we encourage you to try and relax your mind before taking the test.
How an RMR test is performed?
During an RMR test, you’ll lie in a chair in a relaxed environment, inhaling and exhaling into a tube linked to a machine. This machine will capture your breath and evaluate its composition, determining your oxygen intake to calculate the rate at which you burn energy.
That is how we determine your RMR. Our Wellness Center experts add an extra 25-30% of that amount for calories usually expended during regular activity and an additional 10% that an average individual uses for food digestion.
Diet and exercise experts can then use the overall metabolic rate to help you create a customized weight loss diet and exercise plan.
Why is a resting metabolic rate test required?
Whether your goals are to lose weight, improve athletic performance, or maintain weight loss after dieting, it’s essential to undergo an RMR test. While there are methods to predict your metabolic rate, there’s no way to know for sure how many calories an individual burns by merely looking at them or carrying out an estimation.
The RMR test is essential to obtain a precise reading of the number of calories you expend, which is crucial for weight loss. A nutritionist cannot accurately advise on how much food you should be consuming if you don’t know the actual amount of calories you are burning.
It would help if you have both sides of the equation to achieve your weight loss goal, and undergoing an RMR test will set you up for more success.
Let’s take a look at an example
Let us assume your total metabolic rate is 2400. If you eat exactly 2400 calories per day and do nothing, you will be in perfect balance. You will not be adding or shedding weight.
However, if you are looking to drop weight, you would have to take less than 2600 calories per day. To achieve this healthily, most diet and exercise experts would advise that you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. This deficit would make you lose at least one pound every week.
To create that deficit, you can consume 500 fewer calories per day or eat 250 fewer calories and burn 250 calories by exercise.
Don’t make a mistake
Using that example, you know you have to aim for 1900 calories (without exercise). But that does not mean you should eat any calories; it means you need to focus on nutrient-rich foods that contain nutritional value. That is where a nutritionist can assist you by helping you create a healthy weight loss plan.
At BioIntelligent Wellness in San Diego, we perform RMR test in order to take a practical, realistic approach to food behaviors and help you achieve your goals. We concentrate more on your eating patterns during the day and find a way to adjust them to support your weight loss goals.
What else does the RMR test tell you?
Aside from the rate, your body burns calories while at rest, this test also helps us understand your respiratory quotient (RQ). This number indicates the percentage of your metabolism you expend in terms of carbs vs. fat.
This information can help the nutritionist know if you should get more calories from carbohydrate or fat. If weight loss is your goal, this will also help your nutritionist recommend the most effective diet type for your body and aims (low carb, low fat, or a mix).
It’s not a once-and-for-all test
Most people think their metabolism is static – you are either born with a fast or slow metabolism. This misnomer is not the case as your metabolic rate will fluctuate depending on your lean mass and other factors. Should you change lean mass through training, weight loss, or gain, consider retesting your RMR.
It is best to go for a resting metabolic rate test at least every 3-6 months or if you lose a significant amount of weight. When our clients transition off Ideal Protein, they will also use RMR testing to establish a custom maintenance plan.
If you’re wondering whether RMR testing is right for you and your goals, contact us for a free 15-minute consultation to learn more. We can guide you to stop guessing and harness the power of science to efficiently and effectively reach your goals.
