Resting Metabolic Rate
$149
What is it?
Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just to keep you alive. It's the foundation of:
Your nutrition targets
Your fuelling strategy
Your body composition goals
Understanding why your current approach might not be working
The problem is that most people are working from an estimate. Apps, calculators, and wearables use population-based formulas that can be wrong by 20–30% in either direction — and the consequences are real:
Eating too little based on a bad estimate suppresses performance and recovery
Eating too much based on a bad estimate undermines body composition goals
We measure it directly.
How we test
We use the Breezing Pro indirect calorimeter — a clinical-grade device that measures both oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production simultaneously as you breathe at rest.
That dual-gas measurement is what sets it apart. Most devices measure oxygen alone. The Breezing Pro captures your full respiratory exchange ratio (RER), which means we can see not just how many calories you're burning at rest, but exactly what proportion is coming from fat versus carbohydrate — data that changes how we approach nutrition, weight management, and metabolic health coaching.
The test itself is simple. You sit comfportably still and breathe normally for approximately 10 minutes while the device samples your breath. There's no exercise, no discomfort, and nothing to do except rest.
What the results tell you
True RMR — your actual daily calorie burn at rest, in kilocalories, measured directly rather than estimated
Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) — the ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed, which tells us your resting fuel mix: how much fat versus carbohydrate your body is burning at baseline
Total daily energy expenditure estimate — your RMR scaled to your activity level, giving a realistic daily calorie target for your training load
Nutrition context — practical interpretation of what your results mean for your eating, fuelling, and body composition approach
If your RER is consistently high at rest (closer to 1.0), your body is heavily reliant on carbohydrate even when doing nothing — a common finding in athletes who undertrain their aerobic base or who have metabolic inflexibility. If it's low (closer to 0.7), you're efficiently burning fat at rest, which has significant implications for endurance fuelling and body composition.
This data is particularly valuable for athletes managing weight, for those with metabolic concerns, and for anyone who has struggled to get results from generic nutrition plans.
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For anyone who wants to stop guessing about food. This test is particularly useful for:
Athletes optimising fuelling around training loads
People working on body composition who haven't been getting results
Those with metabolic health concerns flagged by their GP
Anyone wanting a genuine baseline before starting a new nutrition or training programme
The RMR test also pairs naturally with our VO₂ max and Full Metabolic Profile testing — together they give a complete picture of how your body uses energy both at rest and during exercise.
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Allow 35–40 minutes in total, including set-up, the measurement period, and results review. The measurement itself takes approximately 10 minutes.
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Preparation is critical for an accurate result — please follow these guidelines carefully:
Fast for a minimum of 4–5 hours before your test. Ideally test first thing in the morning after an overnight fast.
No exercise for at least 12 hours beforehand — exercise elevates metabolic rate and will skew your result.
No caffeine on the day of testing. Water and caffeine-free tea is fine.
No alcohol for 24 hours beforehand.
Plan to arrive a few minutes early so you can settle and relax before the test begins. The more rested you are, the more accurate your result.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing.
The more closely you follow the preparation protocol, the more accurate and useful your result will be. We will confirm preparation requirements when you book.
All prices NZD inclusive of GST. Includes full results report and debrief.