Your appointment
Your composition, and the engine running it.
Two tests in one visit: a DEXA body composition scan and an RMR metabolic test. What you are made of, and how many calories you actually burn at rest. Here is exactly how the visit runs and how to arrive ready.
Don't forget your medical questionnaire. Your link is in the booking email we sent you, and it is unique to your appointment. Please complete it before you come.
01 / Do this first
Your medical questionnaire
- Your questionnaire is unique to your booking. It was emailed to you when you booked, so please complete that one.
- Check your inbox, and your spam or junk folder, as it can land there.
- We are unable to carry out your tests until it is complete, so please do it in good time.
- Cannot find it? Contact us and we will resend your link.
02 / What we measure
Two tests that answer each other.
Most tools use algorithms and population averages. These two measure directly. The DEXA tells you what your body is made of, the RMR tells you what it costs to run.
DEXA body composition
A clinical-grade scan that separates your body into fat, lean muscle and bone, region by region. It measures bone density, visceral fat around your organs, and muscle by region.
You lie still on a flatbed scanner. A non-invasive ten minute scan.
Resting metabolic rate
A breathing test that measures how many calories your body actually burns at rest, and which fuel you use to do it. Most calorie targets come from a formula. This one comes from you.
You lie back and breathe normally through a tube for ten to fifteen minutes.
Bone density
Your bone mineral density against reference ranges, so low bone density is identified early rather than after a fracture.
Visceral fat
The fat stored around your organs, which carries the cardiometabolic risk. It is invisible from the outside and invisible on a scale.
Lean muscle, region by region
Muscle mass in each arm and each leg separately, which shows imbalances and catches accelerated decline early.
Your fuel mix
Whether you are running mostly on fat or mostly on carbohydrate at rest, measured from the balance of oxygen you take in and carbon dioxide you breathe out.
03 / The visit
How your testing is structured.
The order is deliberate. The DEXA comes first, and lying still for it settles you into the resting state the RMR needs.
Watch: what to expect at your DEXA scan.
Arrival and welcome
We sit down with you first to understand your goals and your reasons for testing. That conversation is what lets us get the most out of both tests for you.
Consent form
We take you through your consent form and answer anything you want to ask before we start.
Your DEXA scan
You lie still on a flatbed scanner while the arm passes over you. A non-invasive scan, and nothing touches you at any point.
RMR test
You rest quietly and breathe through a tube while we measure your resting calorie burn. Lying still for the DEXA first is part of this, as it settles you into a true resting state. You are welcome to bring a book, and some water, as your mouth can dry out during the breathing test.
Final questions and departure
We answer anything left over and confirm when your results will land, which is within 2 working days.
If you would like a light snack for afterwards, bring one. You will have been fasted for both tests, and the fast ends the moment the RMR does.
04 / On site
Where your tests happen.
Both tests
Inside the TELOMYX mobile clinic
Our mobile clinic is parked at your venue, usually just outside the partner location. It is private, and it is only you and your TELOMYX practitioner inside.
Both tests take place in there, back to back.
Arriving
Wait outside, we will come to you
Wait in the partner location's reception, just outside the mobile clinic, or in your vehicle, whichever feels most comfortable. There is no need to knock on the clinic door, as we may be testing another client.
A member of the TELOMYX team will come out and greet you.
Your location and parking
These vary by venue, so your confirmation email carries your specific address, parking and check-in details. Please read it before you set off.
Arrive calm
Walk or drive in gently and give yourself a few spare minutes. Rushing in raises your metabolic rate, and that is the exact thing we are about to measure.
05 / Preparation
Small rules, better data.
Your body composition and your metabolism both shift with hydration, glycogen, food and recent training. Standardising your condition is what makes your baseline a true one, and what makes your next test a fair comparison.
Steady the week
The days before- Sleep and hydrate normally. Nothing extreme in either direction.
- Keep your carbohydrate intake consistent. Every gram of stored glycogen binds three to four grams of water, which can inflate a lean mass reading by kilograms.
- No calcium supplements for 24 hours beforehand, as they can interfere with bone density readings.
Back off
24 hours before- No hard or strenuous training, especially resistance work. A post-workout pump is a short-term fluid shift that increases apparent muscle size.
- No alcohol.
- No high-salt food, which encourages fluid retention.
Arrive ready
On the day- Fasted for 5 to 6 hours before your appointment. Water is fine throughout.
- No caffeine or stimulants: coffee, energy drinks, pre-workout. Where you safely can, skip cold and flu remedies too, as they raise your metabolic rate.
- No exercise on the day, including the walk or cycle in. Arrive gently.
- Do not drink a large amount of water immediately beforehand, and empty your bladder shortly before you arrive.
- If you are feeling ill on the day, please let us know and we will reschedule. Being unwell affects the accuracy of your RMR result.
Planning around the fast
The fast and the caffeine are the two points to plan around. For a late morning slot, it is easiest to run your overnight fast straight through. For an early afternoon slot, have a light early breakfast and then water only. Later slots suit some people better, just bear in mind the longer stretch without caffeine.
The fast matters more here than for a scan on its own. Digesting a meal raises your metabolic rate for hours, so eating beforehand does not just blur the RMR number, it inflates it.
06 / Kit
What to wear and bring.
You stay fully dressed throughout. It just has to be the right kind of clothing.
Wear
Light, comfortable clothing, no metal
No zips, buttons or underwired bras, and avoid heavily elasticated fabric, which distorts the DEXA image. Metal in clothing produces scan artifacts and can increase your bone density readings, so jewellery and watches off too, please.
Metal inside your body is not a problem. The scan will not heat an implant and carries no risk. Just tell us it is there.
Bring
Water, and something to read
A water bottle, as your mouth can dry out during the RMR breathing test.
A book, if you would like something to read while you rest.
A light snack for afterwards, if you want one.
07 / Safety
Please tell us if.
Let us know before or on the day if any of these apply to you.
- You are pregnant, or think you might be.
- You have any metal implants, plates, pins or a replacement joint. We can still scan you, we simply need to know.
- You have breast implants, as they can affect your bone density readings.
- You feel unwell or have any infection. If you wake up ill, contact us to reschedule rather than push through.
- You have had a recent scan using contrast dye or a nuclear medicine study.
- You take any medication or supplement that affects metabolism, including thyroid medication or stimulants.
- Anything else has changed since you completed your questionnaire.
08 / Afterwards
What you walk away with.
Before you leave
A clear understanding of what we have measured, and when you will get your results.
Within 2 working days
Your full reports for both tests by email, with every metric explained and personalised recommendations written for your goals.
- Body composition and body fat percentage. Clinically measured, not estimated from a handheld device or a set of scales.
- DEXA. Bone density, visceral fat and muscle mass, mapped region by region. What your bathroom scale cannot tell you.
- RMR. Your measured resting calorie burn, and accurate targets for fat loss or muscle gain with the guesswork removed.
- The two together. Calorie targets built on your actual lean mass and your actual metabolism, rather than an equation and an estimate.
09 / Repeat testing
Tracking over time? Consistency is everything.
A DEXA scan measures your body exactly as it is presented on the day. Lean mass and total weight are sensitive to hydration, glycogen and stomach contents, and your metabolic rate moves with food, caffeine and recent training. Ensuring consistency is key to accurate longitudinal monitoring.
Make your next visit comparable
Book a similar time of day each time. Repeat your nutrition, hydration and training as closely as you can in the 48 hours beforehand, and keep the same fasting window.
Follow the same protocol every time and you get a like-for-like comparison that captures genuine progress rather than a daily fluctuation. If you are a professional athlete, recording your meals in the lead-up makes this easier to repeat, though it is not necessary for most people.
Questions before the day?
Reply to your confirmation email. Your confirmation email also carries your specific location, address and arrival details, along with your medical questionnaire link.
TELOMYX / Data, not guesswork