The Straight Talk on Silver Sage Services, Part II

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In our last post we discussed who can benefit from testing, today we provide a brief overview of the tests available and what they deliver. To read part I, click here

Part II – Which Tests are Available?

  • Resting metabolic rate (RMR)
  • Lactate threshold (LT)
  • Vo2max
  • Metabolic efficiency

 

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What are the Beneficial Take-Aways of Testing

The RMR determines an individual’s basic daily caloric requirements. It also indicates how your body uses fats and carbohydrates for fuel at rest.   RMR testing is especially relevant for individuals interested in maintaining or losing weight.

Lactate threshold testing is done by obtaining a small sample of blood while exercising at increasing intensity.   Once we graph your individual data, we can then help you determine your heart rate zones and speed as you train to meet your goals.   This test is also our favorite way to demonstrate the effectiveness of your exercise program in improving your fitness.

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We have just recently installed the gold standard in VO2 machines, the ParvoMedic True One, currently used at US and Canadian Olympic training centers. A VO2 test measures

  • the body’s ability at maximum efforts to deliver and utilize oxygen during exercise
  • cardio-respiratory fitness and aerobic performance potential
  • how the body uses fats and carbohydrates at various heart rate levels

While the LT and Vo2 tests can be administered individually we believe it is often beneficial to couple these tests to provide the most definitive data.

The performance and lifestyle metabolic efficiency assessments are also conducted on the ParvoMedic. An important predictor of your ability to finish strong in longer races is how well your body utilizes fat as a fuel source.    During a race or even a long training session, it’s impossible to ingest as many calories as you are burning.  As a result, your body depends on breaking down fat to get more energy.    If you find yourself bonking during an event and /or having gastrointestinal distress during races, our performance metabolic efficiency assessment will give you the information you need to improve your fat utilization.  At the end of this test, you’ll precisely know

  • caloric expenditure at various heart rates and intensities
  • how to preserve carb stores in order to decrease the amount of fuel replenishment required
  • how to increase fat as fuel, so you can perform workloads faster, longer
  • lactate levels for your various metabolic zones

For those looking to drop a few pounds, or maybe more than a just a few pounds, we suggest the lifestyle metabolic efficiency assessment. Watching what you eat and exercising are obviously critical for weight loss success.   However, we see too many people either working out aerobically, too hard or too easy.  This test is an abbreviated protocol of our performance metabolic efficiency assessment and is ideal for people who want to maximize their body’s fat burning potential. This test provides the following take-aways

  • caloric expenditure at various heart rates and intensities
  • how to preserve carb stores in order to decrease the amount of fuel replenishment required
  • how to increase fat as fuel, so you can help to burn more fat

 

Andy Pasternak established and owns Silver Sage Center for Family Medicine, as well as Silver Sage Sports and Fitness Lab. Julie Young is the Director of Silver Sage Sports and Fitness Lab and owner/head coach-performance trainer at o2fitness Coaching and Training.