How long do metabolic and body composition assessments take?

Most individual assessments take 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish. This timeframe includes intake, equipment calibration, the testing protocol itself, and an immediate review of your raw biometric data with a specialist.

How much radiation exposure occurs during a DEXA scan?

A DEXA body composition scan emits a very low radiation dose—typically less than 4 to 5 microsieverts (µSv). This is comparable to the normal background radiation received during a 3-hour commercial flight and roughly one-tenth the radiation of a routine chest X-ray.

Can I use HSA or FSA funds to pay for RMR, VO2 Max, or DEXA testing?

Yes. Most Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) allow reimbursement for preventative biometric diagnostics and body composition scans. Elemental Metrics supplies an itemized receipt with diagnostic service descriptions for self-submission to your plan administrator.

Does Elemental Metrics accept or bill commercial health insurance?

Elemental Metrics operates as a direct-pay assessment studio and does not file claims with commercial insurance providers. All services can be purchased directly via credit card, HSA, or FSA cards.

What preparation is required before an RMR or VO2 Max test?

RMR testing requires a strict fast of at least 4 hours (overnight preferred), zero caffeine or nicotine consumption for at least 6 hours, and no vigorous exercise for 12 hours prior. VO2 Max testing requires standard workout attire, athletic footwear, and proper hydration.

Your Body, Decoded.

Gold-standard body composition and metabolic testing on South Congress.

Measure your exact muscle mass, true calorie burn, and aerobic heart rate zones—with a breakdown to help your results make sense.

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DEXA Scans • Resting Metabolic Rate • VO2 Max

Definite Answers. Zero Guesswork.

Bathroom scales and fitness trackers use population formulas and algorithmic estimates—not what is happening in your body.
Replace guesswork with gold-standard testing and a walkthrough of your results, so you train, fuel, and track with certainty.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

What You Get
Your exact calorie burn at rest

Why It Matters
Online calculators rely on averages
A formula estimated a client burned 1,402 calories a day—real gas exchange measured 1,625. Eating to the estimate meant unintentionally under-fueling by over 1,500 calories a week—erasing a full day of food, draining energy, and stalling fat loss.
Direct measurement gives you the exact numbers you need to fuel workouts and keep your metabolism firing.

Single Test $150

resting-metabolic-rate-rmr-testing-metabolic-studio-brown-reclining-chair-background-results-screen-foreground-elemental-metrics-testing-studio-south-congress-austin

See sample report

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VO2 Max

What You Get
Your aerobic efficiency and heart rate zones

Why It Matters
Smartwatches rely on age formulas
A smartwatch capped a client’s Zone 2 at 118 bpm—forcing them to train at a crawl. Direct testing showed their aerobic engine burning fat efficiently up through 165 bpm. Following the watch meant accidentally spending intended Zone 2 sessions in light recovery, missing out on real endurance gains.
Knowing your real zones ensures every ounce of effort goes exactly where you intend.
Single Test $200

See sample report

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DEXA Body Composition Scan

What You Get
Your exact body composition
Why It Matters
Smart scales rely on electrical signals skewed by hydration
Over five months of training, a client saw the scale drop just six pounds. Their scan revealed the real story: five pounds of pure fat lost, and dangerous internal visceral fat cut by over a third—progress the scale completely missed.
Seeing your true composition gives you clear feedback to adjust your routine with confidence.
Single Test $125

example report image of dual x-ray absorbtiometry (DXA) showing human body composition colored in blue for bone yellow for fat and red for lean mass

COMING SOON

One test is a snapshot. Ongoing testing proves your routine is working.
Commit to a year of regular check-ins with preferential pricing.

Track Your Trajectory

A single visit shows where you are today; ongoing tracking shows how your body adapts.
Our yearly options provide gold-standard check-ins through the year with preferred pricing.

Activate

Dial in your routine with complete quarterly check-ins across all three assessments

$100 / month
or $1000 (pay once for the year and save an additional $200)

What's Included:

4 DEXA Scans (Full regional lean mass & body fat breakdown)
4 RMR Tests (Every 3 months to recalibrate caloric burn)
4 VO2 Max Tests (Quarterly cardiovascular zone updates)

SELECT ACTIVATE

Sustain

Protect your momentum with quarterly DEXA scans and semi-annual metabolic check-ins

$75 / month
or $800 (pay once for the year and save an additional $100)

What's Included:

4 DEXA Scans (Full regional lean mass & body fat breakdown)
2 RMR Tests (Every 6 months to recalibrate caloric burn)
2 VO2 Max Tests (Every 6 months to adjust cardiovascular zones)

SELECT SUSTAIN

A 12-month commitment ensures meaningful baseline and progress data to make smart decisions about your health. Test credits remain valid for two full years from the date of issue.

Gift Cards

For active people who have all the gear

Elite Diagnostics. Total Privacy.

Gold-standard Technology
Access elite-tier health analytics right here on South Congress. We test with the exact machines trusted by research institutions and pro sports teams:

DEXA: Hologic Horizon WI for body composition
Metabolic Cart: KORR CardioCoach Pro for true gas exchange, calorie burn, and aerobic zones

You get precise biometric data, paired with a clear walkthrough of your results.

Strict Data Integrity & Privacy
Your trust is our highest priority. Your data belongs to you. Your body composition scans and metabolic metrics are encrypted at all times, securely stored, and never shared or sold.

A New Standard for Wellness
We make advanced biometrics simple and accessible. By combining gold-standard precision with clear walkthroughs, we help you cut through the guesswork and take control of your health journey.

Coach, Clinic, or Gym?

Objective data makes your programming undeniably clear

Validate your programming and keep your clients engaged.

Track lean mass and fat loss with DEXA scans, calibrate nutrition with true metabolic burn, and pinpoint exact heart rate zones.

We perform the assessments, walk through the numbers, and send your clients straight back to you equipped with clear data.

Offer preferred rates to your roster or package testing directly into your programs

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Your Questions, Answered

Each test (DEXA, RMR, and VO2 Max) takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish. After each test we review results for clear understanding and alignment with your goals.
All three baseline tests (DEXA, RMR, and VO2 Max) can be completed back-to-back in an efficient, comprehensive session in under an hour.
A typical DEXA scan exposes you to ~4-5 microsieverts of radiation - half the amount you naturally absorb from the environment in a day. Average daily natural background radiation is ~8 to 10 microsieverts.
In most cases, the answer will be Yes. Your plan rules may vary. If your HSA/FSA card is rejected, complete your purchase with a card other than your HSA/FSA card and submit your receipt to your plan administrator for approval and reimbursement.
Services are cash pay. Simple and upfront pricing without the surprises and hassles of insurance.
Must be 18 or older for all services.
DEXA body composition scan
About 7 minutes on the table, then a walkthrough of your results. By booking you confirm that you are not pregnant and have not had a nuclear medicine scan or tracer dye injection in the last 14 days.
DEXA prep:
- Wear lightweight athletic clothing with no metal (no zippers, underwire, or belts).
- Finish your last meal at least 4 hours before your scan.
- Keep physical activity light for 12 hours before your scan.
Resting metabolic rate (RMR) test
You breathe normally through a mouthpiece for about 15 minutes at rest, then we walk through your numbers.
RMR prep:
- No food, caffeine, or other stimulants for 8 hours before your test. Plain water is fine.
- No alcohol for 24 hours before your test.
- Keep physical activity light for 24 hours before your test.
- Arrive 10 minutes early so your heart rate and breathing can settle.
VO2 max test
On a stationary bike. The test starts easy and builds to a high effort, then we walk through your results.
VO2 prep:
- Wear athletic clothing and shoes you can pedal a stationary bike in.
- Keep physical activity light for 24 hours before your test.
- Finish your last meal at least 4 hours before your test.
- No caffeine or other stimulants for 4 hours before your test.
Yes, LT1 and LT2 are important results on your VO₂ results.
Lactate threshold, ventilatory threshold, and aerobic threshold measure different physiological systems using different testing methods. The terms are often used interchangeably because they all track the body's shift in intensity from easy —> moderate and moderate —> hard.
Lactate Threshold 1 (LT1), Ventilatory Threshold 1 (VT1) , and Aerobic Threshold (AT) mark the point at which your body transitions from burning mostly fat to relying more on carbohydrates and moves from easy to moderate effort.
Lactate Threshold 2 (LT2), Ventilatory Threshold 2 (VT2), and Anaerobic Threshold (AeT) mark the point at which your body transitions to burning mostly carbohydrates and effort moves from moderate to hard
So…
LT1 = VT1 = AT
LT2 = VT2 = AeT
Send us a note at hello@elementalmetrics.co or a text to (737) 379-0018 if you’d like to comment on how this oversimplifies this part of the amazingly beautiful and complex metabolic processes going on inside our bodies. We’ll send you a thank you for your appreciation of detail.
Yes. Smartwatches estimate heart rate zones using age-predicted formulas (like 220 minus age) that often skew your actual aerobic threshold. Our active metabolic VO2 Max test analyzes real-time oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production under progressive workload, pinpointing your exact ventilatory threshold (VT1 / aerobic threshold) and true Zone 2 heart rate.
Online macro calculators use population formulas like Mifflin-St Jeor that estimate your daily burn based on height and weight alone. These estimates often miss actual metabolic burn by 200–500 calories per day, causing plateaus or accidental under-fueling. At our South Congress studio, we measure your actual breath gas exchange directly using a medical-grade metabolic cart to pinpoint your exact daily resting calorie expenditure.