What to Expect
- Bring a swimsuit and a towel. You can change in the privacy of the dressing rooms located inside the lab. A swimsuit is preferred; workout clothes are okay.
- Try to not eat at least 2 hours prior to your test. Eating a large meal within 2 hours of your test may affect your results up to 1.5 %. Working out and drinking water are fine.
- Use the restroom before testing.
- Showering is not required, but please do not have large amounts of makeup or excessive hair products when entering the tank.
- The water is heated to 89 to 94 degrees. It is chemically treated for cleanliness to meet all local swimming pool and hot tub requirements of the local health department.
- You will step into the tank and completely submerge under the water. The technician will guide you to blow all your air out of your lungs. You will only be under the water for a few seconds and can come up at any time.
- Our trained technician will be with you every second of the test. Your privacy & confidentiality & safety are of our highest concern.
Testing Results Data include:
- Lean body mass percent (how much of your body weight is muscle, bone, and organs)
- Body fat percent
- Resting metabolic rate (number of calories your body needs daily for survival)
- Caloric consumption specific to your exercise activity
- Changes in body composition needed to reach a healthy body fat percentage
What is Resting Metabolic Rate? Why is it important?
Your resting metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body burns while at rest. You have to take in enough calories to function normally; without sufficient calories, your body goes into survival mode (starvation).
While in survival mode your body slows down its metabolism and goes to the next best source for energy: muscle. Your body (sending this change) goes into fat storage mode; any food consumed becomes stored as fat.
The key to fat loss is to maintain your RMR and keep metabolism high. This preserves muscle and allows your body to use carbohydrates and fat as its primary source of energy (not your muscle). Also, the quality of calories you consume plays a major role in overall health.
Age, gender, and genetics play a part in determining our metabolism. However, we can change or increase our activity level and thus increase our lean mass. Muscle is metabolically active and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism; the reverse is also true – extreme diets and excessive exercise can tear down your lean mass and lower your metabolism.
