You track your steps. Your sleep. Maybe your macros. But what about your engine?
Most of us have never looked under the hood. We guess at how much fuel we need. We guess at how hard to push. And then we wonder why we’re stuck in the slow lane.
At the Destination CrossFit Health Hub, we use PNOĒ breath analysis to measure two things: your idle speed and your top speed. Here’s what each test is, what happens during it, and how the results change the way you train, fuel and race.
The short version: A resting metabolic rate (RMR) test measures how many calories you burn at rest in about 10 minutes. A VO2 max test measures how much oxygen you can use at hard effort, in about 20 minutes on a bike or rower. Both are done with PNOĒ breath analysis at Destination CrossFit in downtown Walla Walla, and both are open to non-members. Next Data Days: October 4, November 8 and December 13, 2026.
What is a resting metabolic rate (RMR) test?
An RMR test measures your idle speed: how many calories your body burns at rest just to keep you running. That covers breathing, circulation, body temperature and organ function.
Here’s the plot twist. According to PNOĒ, your resting metabolism makes up roughly 60 to 75 percent of the energy you burn each day. Your body burns most of its calories doing… nothing. That’s the biggest piece of your daily fuel budget, and most people are guessing at it.
Why not just use an online calorie calculator?
Calculators guess. We measure. Online calculators estimate your RMR from averages based on age, height and weight, and PNOĒ notes those estimates can miss by 20 percent or more.
That’s the difference between a nutrition plan that gets you across the finish line and one that leaves you spinning out on the first turn. An RMR test reads your number straight from your breath.
What happens during an RMR test?
You lie back, relax and breathe. That’s it. You wear a mask in a reclining chair and breathe normally for about 10 minutes.
No workout. No sweat. Zero burpees. We send a simple prep checklist when you book so your results are as accurate as possible.
What is a VO2 max test?
A VO2 max test measures your engine class: the most oxygen your body can use at all-out effort. 50cc, 100cc or 150cc? The bigger your engine, the more you can do and the longer you can do it.
VO2 max is also one of the strongest markers of long-term health. Research summarized by PNOĒ links a higher VO2 peak to lower all-cause mortality risk and better heart health. Chasing a race PR or keeping up with your grandkids? This is the number to know.
What happens during a VO2 max test?
On the bike. Or the rower. After a quick health screen, you put on a mask and a heart rate strap and hop on the bike (the rower is an option if you prefer).
You start with an easy warm-up, then the effort climbs step by step until you hit your max. The working portion takes about 20 minutes. Expect to earn that podium.
What will I learn from my results?
You get your engine, mapped. Every test comes with your full PNOĒ report and a one-on-one results consult with a DCF coach. Depending on the test, you’ll see:
- Your idle speed (RMR): a real nutrition starting point, not a formula’s guess
- Your engine class (VO2 max): where your fitness stands today
- Your thresholds: the exact point where easy turns hard
- Your fuel use: how much fat versus carbohydrate you burn as the pace picks up
- Your personal heart rate zones: built from your data, not the “220 minus your age” formula, which PNOĒ says can be off by 10 to 15 beats per minute
Every consult starts with wins first. What’s working? Then we pick your focus areas together.
How does metabolic testing help with race training?
Training hard is not the same as training right. Your test tells you exactly how hard your easy days and hard days should be.
Most endurance experts recommend about 75 to 80 percent of training at low intensity (Zone 2) and the rest at high intensity. But whose Zone 2? Yours comes from your test, measured on the machine you actually train on.
Your results also show your switch: the point where your body shifts from burning mostly fat to mostly carbs. That becomes your race-day pacing and fueling plan. Half marathon, gravel ride or HYROX, pace it on data, not adrenaline.
Which test is right for me?
- Idle speed (RMR): best if your focus is nutrition, weight management or tracking changes in your metabolism
- Engine class (VO2 max): best if your focus is fitness, endurance, training zones or longevity
- The full engine check (both): the complete picture at rest and at work
One honest note: metabolic testing doesn’t replace bloodwork, body composition or your doctor. It adds a real-time layer. That’s why the Health Hub pairs it with InBody scans and blood panels.
How often should I retest?
Retest every 6 to 12 weeks while you’re actively training to see how your plan is paying off, and at least every 6 months to track your long-term health. Our fall pit stops are spaced for exactly that: test October 4, retest December 13, and watch 10 weeks of upgrades show up in real numbers.
When are the next Data Days?
Three pit stops left in 2026. Data Days run Sundays from 7 to 10am at Destination CrossFit in downtown Walla Walla:
- Sunday, October 4
- Sunday, November 8
- Sunday, December 13
Testing is open to everyone. You don’t need to be a DCF member to pull into the pit.
Ready to meet your engine?
Stop guessing and start racing on real data. Click Here Grab your Data Day spot, or stop by the front desk and we’ll get you on the grid.
Get Fit. Live Happy. Keep Going.
