Metabolic Testing and Body Composition Analysis

Thanks to Metabolic Testing and Body Composition Analysis, our nutritionists can dive deep into your eating habits, allowing us to offer customizable and effective treatment plans and track your progress. Metabolic Testing measures how many calories you are burning and allows us to determine if you’re burning more or less than you should. 

For an underfed patient, it also measures how much lean mass, such as muscle, brain, and organ tissue, is being used to fuel the body. Body Composition Analysis measures the amount and proportion of fat and lean mass in your body as well as your body’s cellular integrity.

How Metabolic Testing & Body Composition Analysis Work

During Metabolic Testing, the patient reclines and breathes under a lightweight canopy hood for 20 minutes. Then, nutritionists analyze the number of calories burned in a resting state versus the predicted resting energy expenditure to determine if the body is burning the correct number of calories (a normal metabolism), fewer calories than it should (hypometabolic), or more calories than it should (hypermetabolic).

After each use, the machine is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and the single-use antibacterial filter is replaced. Particularly in light of Covid-19, we are using the highest safety precautions to ensure you are safe while using our machines. 

Body Composition Analysis is a quick and non-invasive procedure that attaches electrodes to the wrist and the foot and sends a small electrical current through the body. By measuring the resistance and reactance (called the phase angle) to the current, the test can reveal the proportion and amount of lean tissue and fat, thus determining the integrity of a person’s cells. A low phase angle indicates a breakdown of cell membrane. As a person improves their nutritional choices, the cell membrane becomes more intact and phase angle improves.

Using these Tests to Improve your Nutritional Health

Using the data from these two tests, we can offer diet and fitness guidance based in science and help people better understand how to fuel their own bodies.

Here are five ways that Metabolic Testing and Body Composition Analysis will help you reach healthy goals:

1. You will understand the “why”: The Metabolic Testing machine used at The Kahm Clinic measures how your body is using the macronutrients - fat, carbohydrates and protein. The procedure is completed after an overnight fast to see what your body burns when you have no new energy sources. But it’s not enough to just know that you’re metabolizing these fuel sources incorrectly. By explaining the “why” (i.e. if your body is burning too little fat for energy, it’s storing that fat because it’s underfed), our nutritionists help you develop a plan to get your metabolism and nutritional health back on track. 

2. You will understand exactly what your body needs: If you don’t know how many calories you’re expending each day through both your resting metabolic rate and exercise, you can’t possibly know how much you need to eat. Through these tests, our nutritionists can help you adjust your intake of protein, fat and carbohydrates for your optimal health.

3. You will increase your energy: Do you crave a Diet Coke and a piece (or two) of chocolate every day at 3:00 p.m.? Or maybe you can’t get through the workday without a quick nap at your desk. Your lack of energy may be directly related to your diet. If you’re not eating enough nourishing calories, your body won’t have enough fuel to keep you moving throughout the day. 

4. You will sleep better: It’s been clinically proven that people who have better metabolisms and body composition sleep better.

5. You will decrease your risk for disease: Through these tests, you will determine and learn how to maintain the correct weight for your body type. With proper weight management, you will lower your risk of diseases caused by high fat stores and low muscle mass, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. 

For additional information about Metabolic Testing and Body Composition Analysis, please visit our website or schedule an appointment with us tooday.