Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition
If you’ve been training hard and still can’t break through your plateau, Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute can help you figure out why. We offer the very latest exercise physiology testing that looks at every key indicator of fitness and performance. Our experienced SSMI staff will evaluate what you eat, how you train and how you recover to help you compete in life or in a sport at a higher level and stay injury-free.
Available Services
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
The Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is a 10-20 minute breath test to determine the amount of calories your body burns in a day at rest.
You simply sit back, relax and breathe.  During the test, the air you breathe in and out is analyzed to determine how much oxygen your body uses to maintain basic life functions.
Once completed, we use your RMR calories to provide a foundation for your calories burned during a day. We then add calories burned during activities of daily living and exercise calories to get a total calorie expenditure for the day.
This is for anyone who is interested in losing weight, gaining weight or knowing their true metabolic rate.
Download the Pre-Test Instructions to prepare for your RMR test.
VO2 Max Test
A VO2 Max test is the gold standard exercise test to determine your aerobic capacity. This is popular for weekend warriors and professional athletes looking to improve performance in their sport.
The person will breathe through a mouthpiece connected to a metabolic analyzer and wear a heart-rate monitor. The analyzer measures the volume as well as the percentage of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the expired gas.
The VO2 Max test indicates the potential of an athlete after several years of systematic, structured training.
Download the Pre-Test Instructions to prepare for your VO2 Max test.
*You will need cardiac clearance from your primary care or treating healthcare provider before taking the test.
DEXA Body Composition-Bone Density Scan
The DEXA (dual x-ray absorptiometry) Body Composition Scan is a painless, non-invasive procedure that scans your body as you lay down on a special table.
It is commonly used to measure bone mineral density for detecting low bone density or osteoporosis.
The DEXA is also the gold standard of estimating body composition, including your muscle mass and body fat percentage.
Download the Pre-Test Instructions to prepare for your DEXA Body Composition Scan.
Personal Training
Do you need a little motivation to work out and stick to it? The personal trainers at Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute are ready to provide the enthusiasm you need to stay in shape.
They will come up with a tailored exercise program to help unlock your potential and guide you toward physical fitness success.
Whether you are looking to shed unwanted pounds, bulk up and add strength, or looking to just get healthy, we have the program for you.
Sports Performance and Recovery
Are you looking to enhance your performance in the sport you play or an everyday activity? The team at Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute will help you meet short- and long-term goals including improving strength, speed and agility.
While performance is important, so is keeping your body injury-free. This is why we make it a point to build recovery time into a training program. You can’t put your body though a strenuous workout without giving it time to replenish and repair what was stressed during a sport or an activity. Let us help you be the best you can be!
Endurance Coaching
The Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute has world-class coaches who can help you achieve your endurance goals.
Whether you are a beginner looking to run your first race or an elite athlete looking to compete at the highest levels, we have a coach who can help you with your journey.
We can cut the learning curve in half and give you tools to perform better.
Nutrition Counseling
As the saying goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” Whether you’re looking for abs, trying to lose weight, have underlying medical conditions or just want to be healthier, proper nutrition is essential to overall health.
Optimizing your nutrition is a key aspect to becoming a healthier you. At Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute we have registered dietitians and nutritionists who can help you along the way to achieving your goals.
They will guide and educate you on how to properly fuel your body for optimal health.
Micronutrient Test
​You have probably heard of macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein and fat, but did you know micronutrients are also very important to your overall health?
Micronutrients play a role in everything from energy production, hemoglobin synthesis, protection against oxidative stress and cellular damage, adequate immune function and many other metabolic functions.
As we age, our micronutrient levels decline, which affects cognitive ability, digestive health and leads to a buildup of toxins in the body. Testing and replacement of these important micronutrients can slow aging and keep you feeling your best.
The Vibrant Wellness micronutrient test is a simple blood test that can be done in the office and provides the Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute team with the most complete, accurate and in-depth assessment of a patient’s extra and intracellular levels of a wide variety of micronutrients that includes vitamins A through K, folate, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron.
If you’re found to be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, the SSMI healthcare providers will come up with a customized plan that may include food and supplements and other measures to get you back on a healthy track.
If you need more customized tests than what you see on the website, call the office.
Food Sensitivity Test
Ever wonder if the food you’re eating is causing you to feel bloated, constipated or creating abdominal pain? If this is a recurring process, a food sensitivity test might be the answer to your problems.
Vibrant Wellness has several food sensitivity blood tests that you can use to screen anywhere from 84 to 125 different types of foods. A full report is then generated from the labs with all the culprit foods.
This information gives SSMI healthcare providers the tools to help patients come up with a customized plan to treat underlying causes of inflammation and food sensitivity making eating food enjoyable again.
If you need more customized tests than what you see on the website, call the office.Â
Gait Analysis
Gait Analysis is a biomechanical evaluation of running and walking form. This type of assessment provides actionable data that describes the quality of movement that can help identify musculoskeletal and neurological deficits. When you come to Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute to take our gait analysis test, we’re using Noraxon’s motion capture technology to give a research grade data to provide those high-quality assessments. When a person is armed with this type of information, corrective exercise programs can be tailored to their specific needs to improve balance, coordination, strength and performance in their sport or to live an active lifestyle.