How Metabolic Efficiency Training™ Can Help Outdoor Athletes Train and Perform Their Best

Metabolic Efficiency Testing and Metabolic Efficiency Training™ are powerful tools that empower outdoor athletes to take control of their nutrition for optimal health and athletic performance.

In this blog, I’ll describe the details of Metabolic Efficiency Testing and Metabolic Efficiency Training,™ developed by RD and exercise physiologist Bob Seebohar, and how they can be harnessed to create personalized nutrition plans for outdoor athletes. I’ll also share a real-world example from my nutrition practice (with the client’s identifying information kept 100% private) to illustrate the practical application of this testing method.

What is Metabolic Efficiency Testing?

A metabolic efficiency test is a sub-maximal exercise and nutrition test (not the same as a VO2 max test) that depicts how the body uses internal stores of fat and carbohydrates during exercise. It was developed by sports dietitian and exercise physiologist Bob Seebohar. I completed the Metabolic Efficiency Training program for practitioners with Bob in 2024 and became MET Level I certified. I now offer Metabolic Efficiency Training services to outdoor athletes in my nutrition practice.

During the test, you are connected to a metabolic cart device while completing the sub-maximal exercise test on a treadmill or a stationary bike. The metabolic cart measures how much oxygen you consume versus how much carbon dioxide you produce while breathing during the test.

The metabolic cart data is then used to calculate your metabolic fuel usage, which shows how much carbohydrates and fats you use to produce energy. The entire process is non-invasive and typically takes about 90 minutes to two hours to complete.

The resulting data about your carb and fat usage can be used to determine what nutrition strategies will best help you improve your health and athletic performance and your unique nutrient requirements during training and racing without having to depend on the non-personalized, one-size-fits-all calorie ranges that are usually provided to athletes. 

Subsequent analysis of your test data by a professional trained in Metabolic Efficiency Training™, which I provide through my Metabolic Efficiency Test Analysis service, can help you determine the nutrition and exercise strategies that will help you truly optimize your health and athletic performance. 

What Do We Do With Metabolic Efficiency Test Data?

Metabolic Efficiency Testing and analysis gives you the information you need to implement a Metabolic Efficiency Training™ plan, which includes personalized nutrition guidance. Examples of the types of customized nutrition feedback you can get from me in a Metabolic Efficiency Training™ plan include:

• Resting data: This includes your resting metabolic rate (RMR), resting heart rate (RHR), and percent carbohydrate and fat oxidation. This helps me understand how your current nutrition plan is impacting your overall health. 
• Metabolic Efficiency Point (MEP). This is the point at which carbohydrate and fat burning intersect during exercise. The MEP differs from one person to another and can be improved. For example, a low MEP signifies that you predominantly burn carbs during exercise and ineffectively burn fat, which may make you more prone to blood sugar dysfunction and “bonking” during endurance activities. 
• Amount of carbohydrate and fat calories and grams you burn at various exercise intensity levels per hour. The intensity is measured by speed, heart rate, pace/power, and rating of perceived exertion.
• The total calories your body burns at each exercise intensity level.
• Calorie Efficiency Range: This range, created by Bob Seebohar, provides an accurate range of calories to consume during exercise, as opposed to cookie-cutter hourly calorie recommendations for athletes.
• A fully personalized daily and training/racing nutrition plan. 

What are the Benefits of a Metabolic Efficiency Training Plan?

There are several reasons why Metabolic Efficiency Training is beneficial for outdoor athletes. Let’s discuss each benefit in turn:

• Decrease/eliminate the risk of GI distress: Relying heavily on carbohydrates to fuel exercise means one inevitably needs to consume carbohydrates during exercise. Excessive exogenous carbohydrate intake during exercise can promote GI distress, not only making you feel unwell but also potentially hindering performance if the GI distress becomes too much to handle. This is especially true for trail runners and other outdoor athletes competing in long endurance events. By increasing the body’s ability to utilize fat for fuel and reducing reliance on carbohydrates during exercise, MET thoughtfully reduces the need for exogenous carb intake during exercise. It can, therefore, reduce GI distress. 
• Improve body weight and composition: Relying heavily on carbohydrates for fuel during exercise and being unable to effectively utilize fat for fuel may lead to a suboptimal body composition, including excess body fat. MET may support a leaner body composition by improving the body’s ability to burn fat for fuel. This can be beneficial for outdoor athletes where weight management is crucial, such as rock climbing and skimo. 
• Improve health markers and support a lower risk of chronic disease states: A poor ability to oxidize fat and a heavy reliance on carbohydrates (as well as an excessively high carbohydrate intake) can impair metabolic health, including blood sugar regulation. Elevated blood sugar, elevated insulin, and frequent blood sugar fluctuations are a recipe for metabolic dysfunction and may even, over time, drive metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular health issues. MET improves fat-burning capacity and reduces carbohydrate dependence, and may, in turn, improve blood sugar control and your metabolic health trajectory. 
• Improve relationship with food: The nutrition principles of MET forgo calorie counting, measuring, weighing, etc., for balanced, blood sugar-regulating practices that can help you improve your relationship with food and nourish your body optimally.

Example Metabolic Efficiency Training Plan for a Rock Climber

I recently created a Metabolic Efficiency Training nutrition plan for a client preparing for a 24-hour rock climbing event called 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell. Here are some snippets from her Metabolic Efficiency Test interpretation and nutrition plan.

First, my client did her Metabolic Efficiency Test with a local exercise physiologist. After the test, the exercise physiologist sent me her test data, which I used to calculate the following:

• Substrate utilization and the Metabolic Efficiency Point (MEP)
• Calorie oxidation per hour
• Calorie intake efficiency ratio (her personalized recommended calorie intake per hour of exercise)
• Carbohydrate calorie intake efficiency ratio (her personalized recommended carbohydrate intake per hour of exercise.
• MEP Developmental Zone (suggested zone in which to exercise to support healthy metabolic adaptations).

Here are a few slides with the charts I created demonstrating her data:

Altogether, we used this data to create a personalized nutrition plan for her 24-hour rock climbing event. The event went great and she reported feeling energized throughout! She was also the only person in her climbing group who didn’t experience muscle cramps! Now that’s a win!

Get Your Own Personalized Metabolic Efficiency Training Plan! 

I am proud to offer Metabolic Efficiency Test interpretation in my nutrition practice! This service includes a one-hour appointment and analysis of your metabolic efficiency testing data conducted at a testing facility. If you live in the Denver area, I will refer you to a local exercise physiologist to complete the test. If you haven’t completed your metabolic efficiency testing before purchasing this service and don’t live in the Denver area, I will advise you regarding where to do your testing, what measurements to request, and the preparation guidelines for the test.

If you are interesting in Metabolic Efficiency Training and want to take a functional nutrition approach to optimizing your health and athletic performance, I can help! Schedule a complimentary discovery call to learn how I can help you. 

The content provided on this nutrition blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.

The information and recommendations presented here are based on general nutrition principles and may not be suitable for everyone. Individual dietary needs and health concerns vary, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another.

I make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but the field of nutrition is constantly evolving, and new research may impact dietary recommendations. Therefore, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented on this blog.

If you have specific dietary or health concerns, please consult a qualified nutritionist or another healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

Lindsay Christensen, MS, CNS, LDN

I empower others through nutrition to conquer their mountain adventures, drawing from my own experiences.

With a background in Biomedical Science and an M.S. in Human Nutrition, I’m a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. My journey in functional medicine has equipped me to work alongside athletes and tackle complex health cases. As a passionate trail runner, backcountry skier, and backpacker, I strive to support others on their paths to peak performance and well-being.

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