JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The 802nd Force Support Squadron will soon implement the New Leaf Active Metabolic Training System for its fitness patrons at the Medina Fitness Center.
The system measures a person's resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of oxygen people consume and carbon dioxide exhaled. The system accurately measures the number of calories people need to lose, maintain, or gain weight while at rest or during exercise.
The system comes with an active metabolic training analyzer. The analyzer calculates a person's metabolic requirements using an actual measurement of carbon dioxide, oxygen and total volume. It uses and a heart rate chest strap, and resting and exercise umbilicals that attach to flow sensors on an oxygen mask to collect gas exchange data. Client profiles are created so individuals can assess and re-assess their fitness goals for one year.
"It tells you how much oxygen you actually burned," said Steve Reichert, Lackland Fitness and sports director.
"You can measure your RMR (resting metabolic rate) at rest or during exercise so you can see what fuel sources you're using while exercising."
The squadron purchased the New Leaf equipment in October 2011 and received it in November after Medina Fitness Center manager Celia Bautista recommended the system after attending the Athletic Business Conference in Orlando last year.
JBSA-Lackland's fitness facilities utilize a MicroFit metabolic testing tube that is similar to New Leaf, but it is not as scientifically based, Reichert said.
"Based on your heart rate, you can tell some things about your effort level but we can't know what fuel sources people are using," he added.
The New Leaf system identifies participants' anaerobic threshold - the amount of oxygen needed to create energy for exercise.
"You need to know your anaerobic threshold. You just can't tell by measuring heart rate because you don't know what fuel sources you are burning" Reichert said. "You don't know what is going on physiologically inside your body. With the New Leaf system, we can tell how efficiently people process oxygen."
Reichert was initially against purchasing the New Leaf system because the fitness center already has a metabolic testing system, but Bautista was persistent. She knew it was the right system to have for customers.
"I'm glad she was persistent because this is a far more valuable tool than what we had."
Patrons who use the New Leaf system will be able to follow their progress with trainers at the fitness center and at home as well.
"People will be able to log on to the New Leaf web site and track what workouts they need to do for that day, week and month," said Medina Fitness Center fitness specialist Ronnie Rainey.
Rainey and fellow fitness specialist Magda Salazar are in the process of implementing the system by testing it on two patrons a week.
"We are getting familiar with uploading fitness programs into the system, and with how to properly conduct the assessments," Rainey said.
Reichert said the fitness center staff hopes to have the program ready for customers by the end of April or beginning of May.
"Once we get our proficiency level up with this equipment than we will be able to take on customers and schedule them at the Medina Fitness Center," he added.
Rainey believes the New Leaf system will be popular with customers.
"It will give New Leaf users opportunities to make their bodies more efficient," he said.
Reichert equates the system to a road map that will detail what steps and adjustments patrons need to make to reach their fitness goals.
"It's like you get in your car and start driving," he said "You're going to go somewhere but you don't know where you're going. You need to have a road map. This New Leaf system gives you information to chart your course on where to go."