If you’d like to ask a question that’s not covered here, please visit our FAQ page or contact us.
Resting and Momentary Measurement: Best Practices
How to Disassemble and Clean the T-joint and Mouthpiece
More Video Tutorials
Understanding Energy Balance in the Breezing App
Download Our Breezing App
Step-By-Step Tutorial For IOS
Understanding Energy Balance in the Breezing App
Download Our Breezing App
Guide For Practitioners: A Step-By-Step Walkthrough Video
My Breezing Tracker won’t turn on.
Solution #1: Press the Power button and hold for a few seconds, until you see the Breezing logo light up in the front display panel.
Solution #2: If Solution #1 doesn’t work, charge your Breezing Tracker using the AC Adaptor.
My measurement won’t start.
When the Bluetooth connection is successful, the Breezing app should show a message to start breathing.
If you don’t see this message, check to make sure your iPhone/iPad is connected to the Breezing Tracker.
To do this, look for the blue Bluetooth symbol on the Breezing Tracker’s display.
bluetooth
It should be lit up.
My measurement won’t start, even though the Bluetooth connection is working.
Make sure the mouthpiece and T-joint are correctly connected, so air can flow into the device.
For visuals, check out the assembly video.
I inserted a fresh (unused) sensor cartridge, but I still get an error message telling me to insert a fresh sensor cartridge.
Be sure to cover the sensor cartridge with the sensor cap.
This prevents ambient light from affecting the measurement.
I get an error message when my iPhone/iPad tries to connect with the Breezing tracker.
Software
For Bluetooth Pairing: please follow the exact order of the “Before you start” checklist in the Breezing App, and you will see a Pairing Request (if needed).
– Make sure you close other Apps that are running. Then try closing and re-opening the Breezing App.
– Keep your Apple device updated to the latest iOS version. For example, early versions of iOS 8 had some problems with Bluetooth in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Hardware
– Make sure your iOS device’s Bluetooth is on (from Settings)
– Make sure your iOS device is charged
– Make sure your Breezing Tracker is charged
– Make sure you reset the Breezing Tracker before you try to connect (that is, turn the device off and turn it back on before you tap “Connect”)
– Make sure you follow the exact order of the “Before You Start” checklist displayed in the App
The App is not working on my iPad. What should I do?
The Breezing App only works in Portrait mode (vertical position), so the iPad should be locked in Portrait mode while using Breezing.
Here are the steps to make the Breezing App function on your iPad:
1. Close the Breezing App. You can do this by pushing the Home button (big circular button on the iPad) twice, then scrolling left or right to find the Breezing App, and “sweep” the Breezing App out of the screen (moving your finger in an up or down movement on the screen).
2. Position the iPad in portrait mode (vertical) and lock the iPad screen from the lock button.
3. Open the Breezing App.
I have an iPad. How do I find the Breezing app in the App Store?
Search for “Breezing” in the section for “iPhone-only” Apps.
I forgot the password to my Breezing account. Can you please send a password reset link to my ID?
At this time, the Breezing App is not synced to any web server. Instead, everything, including each account’s password, is stored “locally” on the phone/tablet the app was downloaded. Unfortunately, that means we don’t have the ability to send you a password reset link.
Note: If the App is ever uninstalled, the User Profile is lost unless the phone/tablet is “restored”, which includes restoring a past back-up to a new phone/tablet.
How do I disassemble and clean the T-joint and mouthpiece?
Please check out the video here!
I have an Android device, but can’t generate a .csv file. What should I do?
Please look at the detailed guide here. If you still have issues, please email us at
info@breezing.co
How do I get a reproducible resting metabolism measurement?
The resting metabolism measurement requires physical and environmental preparation as detailed in our protocol here.
To ensure reproducible measurements, we also recommend breathing practice, which includes timing your breathing regularity, and practicing with the app’s training mode as described in our video.
My resting metabolism looks low. What’s going on?
Your resting metabolism is unique. This means that your resting metabolism might not fall within the range indicated as “Normal”. “Normal” range comes from a population average, but each individual is different.
However, a low resting metabolism may be a sign to consult a health professional.
If you have followed the recommendations as described, take additional measurements to determine the range of values for your resting metabolism and to discover how dynamic your resting metabolism is. In this way, you can collect more information for yourself and/or your health professional.
On the other hand, if you feel strong resistance while breathing into the tracker’s mouthpiece/T-joint assembly, this may cause you to breathe slower than usual, affecting your measurement. Make sure the green valves in the tracker’s mouthpiece/T-joint assembly are opening and closing smoothly when you breathe in and out. If the valves seem to be malfunctioning, we recommend you disassemble the mouthpiece/T-joint assembly, clean the components, and re-assemble. Make sure the mouthpiece and T-joint are correctly assembled before attaching it to the Breezing Tracker.
To establish a normal breathing pattern, try breathing using “pushes” of air. Try not to regulate or control your breathing—breathe in and out as naturally as you can.
Practice breathing into the mouthpiece/T-joint assembly wearing the nose clip, but without the Tracker, to get accustomed to breathing in these conditions. Keep practicing until you are comfortable with breathing. Unlike breathing during yoga (slow, deep breaths), you should breathe at your normal pace.
Check for “leaks” (air escaping from the mouthpiece and/or T-joint) during breathing.
Once you feel ready, take another measurement, the more measurements you take, the more skill to use Breezing, the more knowledge about your resting metabolism, and its variability.
My resting metabolism looks high. What’s going on ?
Your resting metabolism is unique. This means that your resting metabolism might not fall within the range indicated as “Normal”. “Normal” range comes from a population average, but each individual is different.
However, an abnormally high resting metabolism may be a sign to consult a health professional.
If you have followed the recommendations as described, take additional measurements to determine the range of values for your resting metabolism and to discover how dynamic your resting metabolism is. In this way, you can collect more information for yourself and/or your health professional.
Check for conditions that might produce rapid breathing. For instance, any strenuous or moderate physical activity right before the resting metabolism measurement will affect your results. Similar to how you’d assess your blood pressure, you need to stabilize your breathing and heart rate in a resting state first. Eating before the measurement can also lead to high values. Like a blood glucose measurement, it’s recommended that you wait to measure your resting metabolism at least 4 hours after a moderate meal, and ideally after fasting overnight.
Unlike blowing up a balloon (strained, forceful breaths), try to breathe normally.
To establish a normal breathing pattern, practice breathing into the tracker’s mouthpiece/T-joint assembly (without the Breezing Tracker. Try not to regulate or control your breathing—breathe in and out as naturally as you can.
Practice breathing into the mouthpiece/T-joint assembly wearing the nose clip, but without the Tracker, to get accustomed to breathing in these conditions.
Keep practicing until you are comfortable with breathing
Once you feel ready, take another measurement
How often should I measure my resting metabolism?
This depends on how much you already know about your resting metabolism and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Personal Use: If you’ve never measured your resting metabolism before, we recommend measuring 2-3 times to understand your personal range of resting metabolism values.
If you are on a reduced-calorie diet, we recommend measuring at least once a week.
When you test the long-term effects of sustained exercise or athletic/endurance training, track changes by measuring resting metabolism at least once a month. This gives a long-term look at how the exercise or training program impacts resting metabolism. Research has shown that sustained exercise increases resting metabolism over time (see diagram below).
Effects of sustained exercise and physical activity (PA) on resting metabolism (REE). Figure adapted from: J. Speakman and C. Selman, “Physical activity and resting metabolic rate,” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, vol. 62, pp. 621–634, 2003
How dynamic is resting metabolism? Why do I get different numbers each time I measure ?
Resting metabolism measurements are similar (in terms of fluctuation) to body temperature measurements, where you’ll find +/-10% change from the average.
While variation is inherent, to determine the most representative resting metabolism for your body, please review the recommended practices (see “How do I get a reproducible resting metabolism measurement?”).
Hour-by-hour, day-by-day, your metabolic rate reflects your body’s systemic adjustments, such as your liver’s processing of a macronutrient supply or your brain’s response to challenges.
What are some confounding variables and how can I best avoid their effects on resting metabolism measurements ?
Two quick examples are having exercised or eaten recently – digestion and recovery from exercise are energy consuming & stimulating.
If you follow the recommended practices (see “How do I get a reproducible resting metabolism measurement?”), then confounding variables will be held to a minimum.
What is the meaning of Energy Source?
Energy Source is the Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER), also called the Respiratory Quotient (RQ). It represents the ratio of the produced carbon dioxide rate (VCO2) / consumed oxygen rate (VO2), which roughly indicates the percentage of oxidized carbohydrates (carbs) vs fats. Note that proteins are not considered in this definition since no measure of urinary nitrogen is involved.
*For example, if an individual is using carbs as their primary source of energy, the RER can be near 1.00, meaning the amount of consumed oxygen is roughly equal to the amount of produced carbon dioxide in a certain period of time.
On the other hand, if the individual is fasting for several hours, and using fat as their primary energy source, the RER can be near 0.70, meaning the amount of consumed oxygen is greater than the amount of carbon dioxide produced in a certain period of time.
The Energy Source is a qualitative output in the Breezing App reported as:
“Fat Burn” (iOS) or “High Fat Burning Rate” (Android)
when RER is below 0.75, which is approximately 80%+ calories burned via fat oxidation
“Carb Burn” (iOS) or “Low Fat Burning Rate” (Android)
when RER is above 0.95, which is approximately 80%+ calories burned via carb utilization
“Fat and Carb burn” (iOS) or “Average Fat Burning Rate” (Android)
when RER is between 0.75 – 0.95 to indicate a relatively mixed fat-to-carb ratio of calories burned
It is important to understand that RER doesn’t necessarily reflect the diet composition of the individual, but the oxidation of energy substrates and physiological processes involved in gas exchange inside the human body. All these processes are very dynamic and can change quickly depending on respiration rate and many other factors. In addition, each person metabolizes the three macronutrients (carbs, fats and proteins) in unique ways, which come from different lifestyles and interventions.
To learn more about RER, you can visit this link or consult your preferred physiology reference.
Would I be able to use Breezing to measure the difference in my fat/carb usage at different exercise intensities (for example, on a stationary bicycle)?
There are two ways to measure this using available technology:
a) fine resolution at low-flow breathing, steady state (under resting conditions)
b) course resolution at sub-maximum exercise conditions, also steady state in incremental stages within exercise (after achieving a steady state first).
Breezing Tracker is designed exclusively for the first method mentioned above: under resting conditions. Breezing’s design meets the purpose of determining one’s Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) or Resting Energy Expenditure (REE), which is used to calculate the majority of Daily Caloric Need for those in the Sedentary population:
Daily Caloric Need = Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) + Active Energy Expenditure (AEE)
Technology used to estimate AEE lags far behind the technology that measures REE. Unfortunately, accelerometer-based activity trackers, HR (heart rate) assisted or not, are all generating numbers for “Calories Burned” with one-size-fits-all equations that haven’t been validated for accuracy. It is best to adopt a conservative “ball-park” figure for AEE.
Exceptions:
Professional athletes, for whom a large percentage of the day is spent utilizing calories to grow (either mass or caloric storage for performance/endurance), have access to state-of-the-art assessments of Caloric Consumption during exercise. Currently, the instruments are costly (~30,000+ USD) and the assessments are limited in availability due to the difficulty of conducting measurements.
How do I interpret Momentary Metabolism?
To best address the concept of Momentary Metabolism measurements, our research and product teams have created this comprehensive guide. Feel free to share your own personal feedback with us at info@breezing.com!
(Note: Before measuring Momentary Metabolism, first make sure Resting Metabolism measurements are reproducible under resting conditions. The full protocol can be found here.)
Breezing Brochure
Case Studies
Educational Overview
Validation Study, Global Journal of Obesity, Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome
Breezing Value Proposition #1
Breezing Practitioner Value Proposition #2
Breezing Handout – Weight and Metabolic Rate Management
Breezing’s Calorie Corrector
Want to find out your real calorie burn? Want to know if your daily diet goal is on the mark?
Use your Breezing REE measurement.
Most activity trackers and diet-tracking apps display a “calorie burn” or “recommended calorie budget” that is only based on estimates, and not on how many calories your body actually needs. To accurately determine your calorie burn during exercise or your true calorie budget, you need your metabolism measurement. The Breezing Calorie Corrector gives you a “corrected” value for height or age, so you can adjust your profile in Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, and SparkPeople and get your real calorie burn/diet recommendation.
How To Measure Your Metabolism
What “calories in = calories out” really means.
Breezing’s accuracy is put to the test.
How much of total caloric burn comes from resting metabolism? The answer may be surprising.
The newest way to measure the effectiveness of exercise and training – looking at the afterburn effect.
Still have questions?
Feel free to contact us!