Measuring RMR

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

I was wondering if you had an opinion on end-consumer RMR measurement tools like “Breezing”. I was thinking about purchasing one so I could start measuring METS.

Thanks for your time

2

I don’t think they work well enough to purchase. Additionally for MET calculations, I would just use a MET chart.

3

Okie doke. For some reason I thought they weren’t super accurate, but I suppose they wouldn’t exist if they weren’t.

Thanks Jordan!

4

Hello again, I had one last question regarding METs:

Is there any sort of recommended weekly combination of METs that should make up your total number of weekly MET minutes? For example: 2x weekly activity of 12 METs, 4 of 10 METs, 6 of 8, etc?

I know it’s dose dependent and generally more, higher METs are better, but I was just wondering if there was a more specific recommendation.

Thanks so much again for your time

5

Yes, the current activity guidelines recommend 500-1000 MET-Minutes per week.

A 5 MET activity done for 30 minutes is 150 MET-Minutes, for example.

6

Oh ok, cool. And there’s no recommendation for a combination of MET intensities (other than maybe the current exercise guidelines, and that generally achieving higher METs during exercise is better than achieving lower METs for gaining more positive health outcomes), is there?

7

Completing more MET-minutes per week would be ideal, however I don’t know if I could confidently say that accumulating more MET-minutes via higher intensity exercise is more health-promoting than the same amount of MET-minutes at lower intensity.

8

Jordan, would you say the same for things like Whoop and Fitbits bands that track heart rate, recovery, sleep, etc.? Better for one thing versus another? Thanks.

9

I think they aren’t accurate or precise enough to do anything with. Combined with their potential to harm folks by suggesting they’re “not recovered” enough or other negative messaging, I don’t think I’d recommend them.

10

Thanks for sharing your perspective on this!

11

Thanks for sharing your perspective on this! ​Thanks for sharing your perspective on this!

12

I totally get where you’re coming from. Measuring RMR can be a bit tricky and sometimes even inaccurate.