Metabolic Rate Measurement: A Prerequisite to Any Exercise Program
Before you enter into an exercise program you need to have workout shoes and clothing. Most of you already know this and some of you even choose to buy gloves, heart rate monitors and maybe even a new iPod!
However, what you should be purchasing is a Metabolic Rate Measurement, or RMR Test. Without this test and the information it gives you, you are wasting your time. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight or improve performance, you cannot do it accurately without a Metabolic Test. Metabolic rate, or metabolism, is the rate at which the body expends energy. This is also referred to as the “caloric burn rate.” Knowing your metabolic rate is vital for weight loss.
Your energy expenditure can be divided into three groups of calories.
Resting Calories – Calories that are burned while the body is at rest. These calories are needed just to maintain life. The majority of all calories burned (about 70-80%) are burned at the resting level.
Activity Calories – Calories that are burned because of normal daily activities are “Activity Calories.” Normal daily activities such as walking, eating (digesting food), and computer work are included in activity calories.
Exercise Calories – These calories are burned because of exercise.
The sum of all of these groups of calories is the Total Metabolic Rate.
The body gains or loses fat based on energy balance. Energy balance refers to the relationship between energy intake (eating) and energy expenditure (metabolic rate). The figures below describe the three states of energy balance.
Normal Energy Balance: Consumption and expenditure in balance, no weight gain or loss
Negative Energy Balance: Expenditure is greater than consumption (caloric deficit), causes weight loss.
Positive Energy Balance: Consumption exceeds expenditure (caloric surplus), leading to weight gain.
Thus, it is important to get an accurate Resting Metabolic Test performed before starting any exercise or health program. Find a professional that has the proper equipment to perform a metabolic test. Do not be fooled by BMI equations and RMR equations, where they take your age, weight and other personal information and plug it into an equation to come up with a number. These methods are common in the Health and Fitness industry, but are not accurate like a Resting Metabolic Test. If you can find a professional who offers Metabolic Testing, Nutritional Counseling and Fitness Training all in the same facility, your results will be tenfold.
Lisa Hitchens is a Certified Personal Trainer and the owner of Flex It gym in Temecula. Contact Flex It at 951-551-6056.
