The fitness tech field is crowded with a bunch of devices like the FitBit or the Nike Fuel Band, which keep track of your daily activities and are able to tell you with great detail just how many calories you’ve burned and how active you are. However, all these devices make some assumptions about one pretty essential piece of information: your resting metabolic rate. Without knowing exactly how many calories your body burns before you even start exercising, you have to use approximations to get to your daily total. The Breezing Portable Metabolism Tracker hopes to change that.
Using indirect calorimetry, the device measures the levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in your breath and uses this information to determine your basic, resting metabolic rate (RMR). It then communicates the result to your smartphone, for easy tracking. Not only does it tell you how many calories you burn at rest, it can tell you whether your body is burning fat, carbohydrates or both. This is important information to people who would like to know if the special diets they’re following are working. It’s also useful for those who are practicing exercise routines meant to increase RMR, like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
Used in combination with devices like the Fitbit, it’s becoming possible to get a comprehensive picture of your body’s energy flow. For data nerds, this is heaven. The Breezing device is currently undergoing funding at IndieGogo, and a $250 will get you one.
[ Project Page ]
