How Many Calories Do You Burn?

The other day, Briana, from New England Nutrition and Exercise,  measured my resting metabolic rate using an MedGem indirect calorimeter. I sat still with the small device in my mouth and had to stay calm for 10 minutes. Before starting the test I avoided caffeine and food for 4 hours to get the most accurate measurement.

The whole time my nose was plugged so I had to breathe into the device. While I’m breathing, the device is measuring my oxygen consumption. With that information it determines my resting metabolic rate, or how many calories I burn if I were to just sit on the couch and sleep all day.

Using that number, I can be accurate with how many total calories I should aim consume each day. Briana helped me calculate that by multiplying my resting metabolic rate by an activity factor. The activity factor considers your occupation, daily movement and exercise to determine the right amount of calories for your lifestyle.

If you’re trying to make some changes, getting your resting metabolic rate is a good way to set yourself in the right direction. There are online calculators to determine your resting metabolic rate. Actually getting tested is the most accurate though. I clocked in more than 200 calories over the online calculator’s estimate.

I’ll be using this information to make sure I’m properly fueling my body and getting in enough calories to recover from big days of training.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain