FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What should I wear?
Some assessments have certain clothing restrictions. See below for details. For your convenience we have a changing room.
Bod Pod:
Excess clothing can influence volume measurements, resulting in a less accurate body composition analysis. Minimal clothing during testing is recommended. Please come prepared with a swimsuit or other compression clothing (e.g. Spandex shorts, sports bra) to wear while in the Bod Pod, and perhaps a robe or cover-up for immediately before and after testing. We will provide you with a swim cap to cover your hair and will also request that you remove all jewelry, eye wear, and other accessories prior to testing.
Maximal/Submaximal Graded Exercise Tests:
Please come prepared with appropriate athletic clothing and shoes. We recommend shorts and a T-shirt for maximum comfort while exercising, because you may become warm and cannot remove layers once testing has begun.
Am I allowed to exercise prior to testing?
In general, we recommend that you abstain from vigorous exercise for 12-24 hours prior to testing.
Please be sure to properly hydrate during and after exercise, especially if you are coming in for a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis.
For any exercise or performance test, aerobic or anaerobic, we also advise that you refrain from strenuous exercise for a few days before your test, just enough to ensure that you are properly rested.
How long must I wait after eating or drinking before testing?
In general, it is not necessary to do an extended fast before any procedures, but please refrain from eating or drinking for at least two hours before coming in. However, we do recommend a 4 hour fast for an RMR test and a 10 hour fast for lipid and glucose blood testing.
Also, avoid caffeine on the day of any body composition assessment. For maximal exercise tests, we do not recommend consuming a large meal beforehand, but rather a light, healthy snack (i.e. ~200 calories, with carbohydrates and protein) two hours before exercise.
Which body composition assessment is the best?
All of our body composition assessments are non-invasive and similarly accurate. Historically, hydrostatic (underwater) weighing was considered to be the "gold standard" for body composition. The Bod Pod uses similar methodology to calculate fat and fat-free mass in a more comfortable and convenient environment. However, if you are uncomfortable in enclosed spaces for a short amount of time, this test may not be for you.
What is the difference between total fat mass, total fat-free mass, and % body fat?
Fat mass is the absolute amount of body fat, measured in pounds or kilograms.
Fat-free mass or lean mass is any tissue or part of the body that does not contain fat, such as skeletal muscle, bones, and water.
Body fat percentage is a ratio of total weight of fat to the total weight of the body.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, checks, and credit cards.
Do you ever need volunteers or research subjects?
Yes there are often ongoing research projects that are in need of subjects. If you are interested in volunteering for a research study you can contact our office for more information
How do I get there and where do I park?
Validation of parking for community members only.
From Central Avenue, turn North on Stanford (or Princeton). Take a left-hand turn on Redondo and a right (just after Stanford) into the Cornell parking structure. Stop at the booth at the entrance and tell the attendant that you have an appointment in the lab or you can mention EHPP. Please make sure you say you have a testing appointment in the Exercise Lab (EHPP). They will give you a voucher and you'll leave one part on your dash and bring in the other part for us to validate your parking. If no one is in the booth you will need to pay for parking.
After parking, proceed toward Johnson Center which is the building just north of the parking structure. You go in the west-facing (main) door. This is the door that faces Popejoy Hall and the big colorful statue.
Go up the ramp straight ahead and turn right at the top of the ramp, turn right again and follow the hallway until you see stairs going down on your right. Go down the stairs, turn left, down the ramp and we are the office at the bottom of the ramp on the left. Room B143.
If you enter the new Johnson Center from the east side: tell the Johnson Center attendant that you have an appointment in the lab. Go straight past all the courts on your left. Take a right at the last door on your right. Go down the ramp and we are at the bottom of the ramp, room B143.
*If you have a vehicle over 8 feet tall, please notify us at (505) 277-2658