Ask us Anything.
There’s no such thing as a silly question. Whether you’re wondering which test is right for you, what your results actually mean, or what to expect on the day, you’ll find answers to the questions we get asked most below.
FAQ
Metabolic testing measures how your body uses oxygen and produces energy at rest and during exercise. Instead of estimating your physiology from age, weight or population averages, it measures what your body is actually doing and uses that data to inform training, nutrition and fueling.
Resting Metabolic Analysis focuses on how much energy you use and how you use fat and carbohydrate at rest. Active Metabolic Analysis measures how your body performs during exercise, including aerobic capacity, thresholds, fuel use and cardiovascular response. Total combines both assessments for the most complete picture of your physiology.
Metabolix uses lab-grade indirect calorimetry to measure oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production directly. This provides physiological measurements rather than estimates generated from equations, population averages or wearable algorithms.
Yes. Total Metabolic Analysis combines Resting and Active testing in the same appointment, with the resting assessment completed first before progressing to exercise testing.
Allow approximately 45 minutes for Resting Metabolic Analysis, 1 hour for Active Metabolic Analysis and 1 hour 30 minutes for Total Metabolic Analysis. This includes preparation, equipment setup, testing and enough time to complete each assessment properly.
The intensity during the active assessments increases progressively throughout the test. Much of the test is performed below maximal effort while we measure how your physiology changes as the workload rises, with the final portion becoming genuinely hard when a maximal assessment is appropriate.
All assessments require some preparation around food, caffeine and exercise to ensure your results are accurate. You’ll receive clear instructions specific to your test when you book, so you know exactly what to do beforehand.
Your results are delivered through a personalized Metabolix portal, bringing together the measurements from your assessment with clear explanations of what they reveal about your metabolism, fitness and performance and what those findings mean in practice.
Your data is reviewed and analyzed after your assessment, with your personalized Metabolix results portal delivered within 24–48 hours.
Retesting is most useful every 3–6 months, once enough time has passed for meaningful physiological adaptation. We recommend every 3 months to measure progress, identify what’s changed and adjust your training, nutrition or fueling accordingly.