Does Lumen Metabolism Tracker Really Work? A Dietitian’s Review
The Lumen Metabolism Tracker is a device that claims to measure your metabolic flexibility, or how well your body can switch between burning fat and burning carbohydrates for energy.
But how well does it work and can it really help you to reach your health goals? Let’s take a look.
What is the Lumen Metabolism Tracker?
Lumen states it is the world’s hand-held device that measures metabolism by measuring the CO2 levels in your breath to see if your body is using fat or carbs for fuel.
This measurement differs from indirect calorimetry, which is the measurement of carbon dioxide produced and oxygen consumed while breathing, which is used by devices such as the MedGem, to measure resting metabolism levels.
While indirect calorimetry provides can accurately measure resting metabolic rate (RMR), the Lumen device uses a CO2 sensor and flow meter to determine the CO2 concentration which indicates the type of fuel your body is using to produce energy. This can help you to determine when and what to eat during the day, to optimize your results.
Lumen’s technology has been scientifically proven to accurately measure metabolic fuel usage when compared to the gold standard (RER) for measuring metabolism in multiple validation studies.
How does Lumen work?
The Lumen Metabolism Tracker uses a breath test to measure your metabolic state. When you blow into the device, it measures the levels of certain gases in your breath, including carbon dioxide (CO2). The amount of CO2 in your breath is a good indicator of whether your body is burning fat or carbohydrates for energy.
When you are burning fat for energy, your body produces more CO2 than when you are burning carbohydrates. This is because fat metabolism is a more efficient process than carbohydrate metabolism. The Lumen Metabolism Tracker uses this information to calculate your metabolic state. It then displays your metabolic state on a color-coded scale of 1 to 5 which indicates the type of fuel your body is burning for energy.
Want to give Lumen a try? Click here to order yours & use code ERIN to save $50 off your purchase.
How do you use Lumen?
Here’s how to get started using your Lumen device:
- Download the Lumen app and create an account.
- Pair your Lumen Metabolism Tracker with the app.
- Follow the instructions in the app to calibrate your Lumen Metabolism Tracker.
- To use Lumen, you will first inhale, the hold your breath for 10 seconds, and the exhale following the instructions through the app.
- Your metabolic state will be displayed on the screen.
What do the Lumen results mean?
The metabolic state provided by your Lumen device can show you what fuel you are burning for energy. A score of 1 indicates that you are in a state of fat burning. A score of 5 indicates that you are in a state of carbohydrate burning.
The Lumen Metabolism Tracker is designed to help you lose weight by helping you to adjust your diet and exercise habits to match your metabolic state. When you are in a state of fat burning, your body is more efficient at burning calories and more ideal when it comes to reducing body fat levels.
How does Lumen benefit metabolic health and blood sugar levels?
The personalized feedback Lumen provides can help to support your body’s metabolic flexibility, or yur body’s ability to switch between using carbs and fat as a source of fuel throughout the day.
Research has found that metabolic flexibility plays an important role in overall health. The more metabolic flexibilty you have, the easier it can be to lose and maintain weight as well as gain muscle. In addition, metabolic flexibility can help to improve glucose regulation and reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
What are the benefits of using Lumen?
Before Lumen, we could use indirect calorimetry to accurately measure resting metabolic rate. But that is just part of the puzzle when it comes to fueling the body for optimal health and weight management.
What Lumen offers is the ability to measure respiratory exchange ratio (RER) to understand metabolic fuel usage. And this is important because we know that all calories are not created equal.
Lumen allows you to understand what type of calories to eat based on your RER. And when you combine that with knowing how many calories you should eat in a day, you can maximize the effectiveness of reaching your wellness goals.
Instead of just guessing what does and doesn’t work for your unique metabolism, Lumen can actually show you what to do so you can achieve results faster.
Who can use the Lumen Metabolism Tracker?
The Lumen Metabolism Tracker is designed for people who are looking to maintain or change body weight, improve their metabolic health, or increase their energy levels. The device is not recommended for people who are under the age of 16, pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Is the Lumen Metabolism Tracker accurate?
Although the Lumen Metabolism Tracker is a relatively new product on the market, there is research to support its accuracy and benefits. Peer-reviewed research has found the handheld device detects changes in metabolic fuel utilization in a comparable manner to the laboratory standard metabolic cart. This means that Lumen can provide accurate, real-time metabolic data for users in the comfort of their own home.
Where can I buy the Lumen Metabolism Tracker?
The Lumen Metabolism Tracker can be purchased exclusively on the Lumen website. You can learn more and view purchasing options here. If you do decide to use Lumen, use code ERIN to save $50.
The bottom line on using Lumen Metabolism Tracker
So is Lumen worth the investment? This will depend on your budget and health goals. The device can provide worthwhile feedback that can help fast-track your progress when it comes to fat loss and body composition changes. Instead of just guessing at what you need to do, Lumen can show you instantly what is and isn’t working for you.
Pros of Using Lumen
- Provides unique insights to optimize metabolism
- Small, discrete, and quick to use
- Easy-to-use app to help you better understand your results and apply the results to your daily routine
- Supports metabolic flexibility and weight management
- The only way to accurately measure metabolic fuel usage from the comfort of your home
- Significantly more cost-effective than having metabolism fuel usage tested in a clinical setting
Cons of Using Lumen
- Carrying the device and testing throughout the day may be inconvenient to some
- To use Lumen, you must be able to utilize a strong breath and breathe in sequence with the app directions, which can be challenging at times
- An ongoing subscription is needed to continue to use the Lumen app
As helpful as Lumen is, it is not a magic bullet. Lumen cannot make you burn fat or lose weight. The information provided by the device can be incredibly useful. But you have to take that information and apply it to your lifestyle to make changes that bring on results.
If you plan to use Lumen consistently and apply the information the device gives you to your daily meal plan, then it is a very worthwhile tool.
As a health professional, I am thrilled the technology Lumen utilizes is now available to use at home. Using RER along with RMR can be the best strategy to take the guesswork and frustration out of weight management and have concrete data that can provide long term results.