Are you a FIT and ACTIVE individual… but still feel fat, slow and puffy?

Let’s test and assess if you are actually FIT and HEALTHY from the inside out by running specific functional lab tests, comprehensive blood chemistry analysis (in functional ranges -not the “normal” ranges based on unhealthy people), metabolism testing at rest and during various exercise intensities plus nutritional therapy signs and symptoms assessment with a 3-day FOOD & MOOD log to learn more about the WHOLE you on the inside and out!

Debbie Potts is a seasoned figure in the health and fitness industry with over 25 years of experience. As a former endurance athlete and coach, she’s been recognized as one of the top trainers in the U.S. Her journey from athlete to holistic health advocate led her to create “The WHOLESTIC Method,” focusing on personalized wellness. Debbie is also a host, author, and speaker, sharing her expertise through “The Fit & Healthy Athlete Podcast.” With a mission to transform lives, she helps individuals uncover hidden stressors and optimize their health and performance. Visit www.debbiepotts.net to learn more about her transformative approach.

The Aging Athlete & Metabolic slowdown and why you should care about it.

You have undoubtedly heard of the term metabolism.
Although most people don’t know what it means, it is often the culprit for failed weight loss attempts or general inability to achieve a fitness goal.
This blog explains what metabolism is, why it’s important to maintain it at high levels, and what can cause it to decline.

What is metabolism?

Metabolism includes all biological processes that convert fuel from nutrients like fats and carbohydrates into the energy our body needs to survive.
This energy is what we refer to as calories.
In simple terms, it’s the process through which we burn calories.
It is the most vital biological process since it provides a constant supply of the energy needed to power your body movements and all functions keeping you alive such as breathing, blood circulation, cell growth, muscle reparation, etc.
Metabolism differs significantly from one person to another because of age, genetics, exercise habits, nutrition preferences, medication, etc.

Why it’s important to have a high metabolism.

A high metabolism means your body burns more calories than the average person with the same age, weight, height, and gender.
Conversely, having a slow metabolism means you are burning fewer calories than the norm.
Since weight loss requires a caloric deficit, the state when you eat fewer calories than you burn, having a high metabolism is the most powerful protection against obesity.
However, besides protecting you from weight gain, having a high metabolism is associated with faster cellular and muscle tissue reparation and other healing processes vital to recovery after training.
Therefore, a high metabolism is also essential for avoiding injuries.

What can cause my metabolism to slowdown?

Aging, nutrition, and training are the most potent drivers of your metabolism and can all lead to a metabolic decline. Here’s how each one can affect it.

Age:

Aging will cause your metabolism to decline since the older we get, the harder it is to maintain muscles mass and the less metabolism-boosting hormones (e.g., growth hormone) we secrete.
The metabolic decline caused by aging is much less acute than the one nutrition or training can cause, and in most cases, it’s responsible for only a small portion of a person’s weight gain.
Moreover, despite the decline it causes, training and exercise can help reverse it and maintain your metabolism at healthy levels.

Nutrition:

Nutrition is one of the most powerful drivers of your metabolism.
When you reduce the calories you consume and enter into a calorie deficit, the state in which you burn more calories than you eat, your body will reduce its metabolic activities in two ways.
First, it sheds muscle mass.
This process occurs since muscles are one of your primary energy reserves that will be tapped upon to cover the calorie deficit caused by food restriction.
Second, it makes your remaining muscle mass more economical, causing it to burn fewer calories when moving (e.g., walking).
This is done by changing the balance of specific hormones that regulate the energy your cells burn during movement.
Both processes are part of your body’s survival mechanism and kick in to conserve calories and help you close the energy deficit caused by restricting food intake.
However, both can be averted with the correct dose and type of exercise.

Training:

Training can affect your metabolism in the fastest and most acute way.
Although it can be a powerful tool for increasing your metabolism, over-training can have the opposite effect.
The most effective workout type for increasing your metabolism is resistance training.
First, it increases your muscle mass, leading to more calorie burn as more active tissue requires more energy.
Second, it increases the energy your muscles burn on a per unit basis, meaning that every pound of muscle mass starts to burn more due to a positive shift in the hormone balance regulating your cells’ energy consumption.
Too much training, however, has been shown to cause an adverse change in hormone balance (e.g., reduction of growth hormone secretion) that reduces metabolic processes.
In this case, metabolic decline and the associated decrease in recovery capacity pose a critical danger for injuries.

Summary of avoiding the Metabolic Slowdown as we age!

A metabolic slowdown can pose a severe obstacle in achieving your dream physique and staying healthy long-term.
As a result, one of the most important things to monitor is whether your metabolism has slowed down or whether your current fitness and nutrition are causing it to decline.
The PNOE metabolic analyzer provides a clinical-grade analysis of your metabolism, helping you act early and avoid the pitfalls of a metabolic slowdown.
Contact Coach Debbie Potts to get your PNOE metabolism test and Nutritional Therapy Assessment today at debbiepotts.net

Why Breath Analysis?

PNOĒ is not just another biometric screening device. It is a solution that enables you to offer your clients a competitive, lucrative and arguably necessary service that includes personalized nutrition and exercise programs.

The history of Breath analysis:

Breath analysis dates back to the early 20th century and is considered the most holistic assessment in medicine. It evaluates all components of human physiology, including oxygen flow through the body. Oxygen is critical for long term health and studies show that an increase in VO2peak correlates with a decrease in the likelihood of death and onset of chronic diseases. Since its inception, breath analysis has been given many names, including metabolic testing, VO2max testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and cardio-metabolic analysis.

Why Breath Analysis matters?

Breath analysis evaluates all components of the human physiology fundamental to nutrition and exercise prescription, longevity assessment and chronic disease prevention: Cells, Heart, Lungs and Blood Circulation. Analyzing 23 biomarkers during inhalation and exhalation assesses the most fundamental function which is oxygen flow through the body.

The importance of oxygen for long-term health has been established through studies examining the function of individual elements found in the oxygen chain (i.e., heart, lungs, cells) and its global function (i.e., overall oxygen consumption).

The findings of these studies were summarized in a landmark scientific statement published by the American Heart Association in 2016, which elevated VO2peak into a critical vital sign that provides the strongest evidence about life expectancy and quality. Specifically, for every unit increase in VO2peak, measured in Metabolic Equivalent (i.e., METs), one’s likelihood of death and onset of chronic disease declines by ~15%. Such is its predictive power that the American Heart Association openly called for implementing VO2peak in annual physical examinations.

Energy Intake:

One of the most powerful physiological regulators is the amount of energy or the number of calories one consumes. It is the lever that controls body weight and is a critical influencer of hormones, mood, and energy levels. The number of calories one should consume is linked to the fitness goal and the individual’s metabolic rate. The fitness goal will determine whether the calories ingested must be less, equal (balance), or greater than (surplus) the calories burned respectively. To accurately determine, however, calorie intake, one needs to determine the individual’s metabolic rate since it will provide the benchmark from which calorie intake will be set below, above, or at the same level, depending on the fitness goal.

The PNOĒ test provides the gold standard for measuring calorie burn at rest (indirect calorimetry) and throughout the day, allowing for developing a nutrition plan with the calorie intake that aligns with the target deficit, surplus, or balance. Studies have shown that estimating a person’s calorie burn using predictive equations can be as much as 25% off. Getting this number wrong can have several negative implications stemming from eating too much or too little for your metabolism.