External and independent studies conducted at top institutions conclude that the Lumen device’s ability to accurately measure the metabolic fuel usage of an individual is highly accurate, aligned closely with the gold standard.
The gold standard for measuring our body’s metabolic fuel preference is known as Respiratory Quotient (RQ), but due to the fact it requires inserting an intravenous catheter into the vein for a blood sample to measure, the preferred method today is the Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER). RER is calculated by estimating the relative contribution of carbs and fat to the overall energy expenditure through CO2 production and O2 uptake. The RER test itself takes about an hour, and requires a lab, proper equipment, and technicians to administer it. Lumen’s technology takes that measurment (RER), and makes it accessible in a pocket-sized metabolism tracker. Lumen’s science is based on the knowledge that the metabolism of carbohydrates produces more CO2, relative to the consumption of 02, than the metabolism of fat. Lumen uses the RER measurement as a basis for its unique patent-pending sensor to track and monitor metabolism.
Validation of Changes in Metabolic Fuel Usage Using Lumen Device Vs. Gold Standard: The studies were conducted in two separate and independent external institutes, In a major US university and a top hospital in Israel. 31 healthy subjects arrived at the clinic after fasting for 12 hours. Their RER was measured using gold-standard devices (Parvo-Medics TrueOne 2400 and Quark RMR, Cosmed) and the Lumen device. Next, they drank a high carb shake and both measurements were taken again.
The Lumen measurement was found to highly correlate with changes in the RER of a subject. In a repetitive ANOVA test, the Lumen method was found to differentiate between the different metabolic states of an individual in response to drinking a high carb shake.
“A pre-market, controlled, pilot study device was conducted to assess the body’s metabolic fuel utilization under different states, when compared to the gold standard, RER method. The Lumen technology was found to highly correlate with RER (R=0.83, p=0.003)2, in addition to effectively differentiating between fasting and post-carbohydrate consumption states (p=0.001)
For more information on Lumen’s research, contact science@lumen.me.
Emily is a marketing and communications specialist and a former elite level figure skater.
