The Lumen metabolic device is a fascinating gadget designed to provide personalized insights into your metabolism (tell you if you’re burning fat or carbs at any one point during the day). It’s purpose is to help you understand how your body uses carbohydrates or fats for fuel, ultimately helping you optimize your nutrition and reach your health and fitness goals.

The device gives you a metabolic measurement in just seconds by analyzing the CO2 concentration in your breath.

In this comprehensive review, I’ll show you how it works, how you use the information it gives you and tell you whether it’s worth the investment.

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How does the Lumen work?

The Lumen metabolic tracker is a device that helps you understand how your body uses energy from the food you eat. It does this by analyzing your breath.

Here’s what you need to know to understand how it works:

Your Metabolism + Fuel

Your body uses two main sources of fuel: carbohydrates and fats.

When you exercise or do any physical activity, your body needs energy to keep going. Your metabolism determines which fuel source your body uses to produce this energy.

Breath Analysis

When you breathe, you exhale carbon dioxide (CO2). The Lumen tracker measures the amount of CO2 in your breath.

This is important because the amount of CO2 you produce can let you know which fuel source your body is using.

Morning Measurement

To use the Lumen tracker, you start with a morning measurement.

When you wake up, you breathe into the device.

The device analyzes the composition of your breath and calculates your metabolic state.

Your Lumen Level

Based on the breath analysis, the Lumen tracker gives you a lumen level.

This score ranges from 1 to 5.

A score of 1 means your body is primarily using fats for fuel, while a score of 5 means your body is primarily using carbohydrates for fuel.

Personalized Nutrition Recommendations

Once you have your lumen levels, the Lumen tracker app provides personalized nutrition recommendations.

It suggests the ideal ratio of carbohydrates and fats in your meals throughout the day. These recommendations help you make better food choices to optimize your energy levels and achieve your health and fitness goals.

Tracking and Progress

The Lumen tracker app keeps a record of your measurements over time.

This allows you to track your progress and see how your metabolic flexibility changes.

You can also see trends and patterns to understand how different foods or activities affect your metabolism.

How accurate is the Lumen Metabolic Tracker?

I’m going to get a little nerdy for a second to share some of the important scientific research that’s been done on this device (and it’s accuracy).

The Lumen metabolic tracker has been the subject of multiple validation studies conducted by the company and independent researchers. These studies evaluated the accuracy and consistency of the device’s measurements compared to established methods such as laboratory-grade metabolic carts.*

*An instrument used to precisely measure the oxygen you inhale and the carbon dioxide you exhale during rest, after meals, and during certain exercises.

Some of the studies conducted on the Lumen metabolic tracker have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The Lumen metabolic tracker’s measurements have been compared to gold standard methods like indirect calorimetry.

The company behind the Lumen metabolic tracker have collaborated with academic institutions and researchers to conduct studies and gather scientific evidence on the device’s performance.

These collaborations enhance the credibility of the research and ensure an unbiased evaluation.

The company actively engages in collecting user data and feedback to inform product enhancements.

If you’re interested in exploring the scientific studies conducted on the Lumen metabolic tracker, you can refer to the company’s website, published research articles, or academic databases for detailed information on specific studies and their findings.

How do you set up and use the Lumen?

You can have your device set up and your first measurement logged within just a few minutes.

Unbox the device (the Lumen comes with premium packaging that rivals Apple products btw), put it on the charger for a few minutes, download the Lumen app and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your account and get your first measurement.

There’s only one button to use on the device itself. (love that!)

To take additional measurements throughout the day you’ll tap on the air icon on the main dashboard under the ‘Today’ tab.

Make sure you tap into the settings and personal profile area of the app to confirm the information is correct.

If you ever want to change your ‘track’ (your goal) you’ll navigate to the ‘Me’ tab and then click on your profile name.

Your current track (goal) helps the algorithm create customized nutrition suggestions.

There are 3 goals to choose from (you can only select one at a time).

Make sure you tap on the different icons in the ‘Nutrition Tools’ section of the main dashboard.

This is where you’ll log your food, get ideas for meals to create, menu hacks (so handy for dining at your favorite restaurant) and there are food lists and portion graphics (my favorite feature inside the tools) that help you quickly estimate portion sizes.

The nutrition resource area is top notch so make sure you take the time to investigate it thoroughly.

The final tab on the app is the ‘Explore’ tab.

This is where you’ll find a few different categories with short videos to help you use the Lumen, understand how to use the data and some general (but important) educational videos about nutrition.

How do you use the data from the Lumen Device?

The Lumen Levels

Here are a few practical ways to use the information you get from your Lumen metabolic tracker:

To Better Understand Your Body’s Needs

The data from the Lumen metabolic tracker helps you understand how your body uses fuel (carbohydrates and fats) for energy.

With this knowledge, you can make smarter decisions about your nutrition and activity levels.

To Help You Know How to Adjust Your Diet

Based on the Lumen tracker’s recommendations, you can adjust your meals to optimize your energy levels.

For example, if you have a lumen level indicating your body is using more carbohydrates, you may choose to include foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.

If your body is using more fats, you might consider incorporating healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and seeds.

To Help You Optimize Your Workouts

The data can help you plan your exercise routine effectively.

If your body is using more carbohydrates for fuel, it might be beneficial to have a snack or meal rich in carbohydrates before your workout to fuel your performance.

If your body is using more fats, you might focus on longer, lower-intensity activities like jogging or cycling.

To Track Your Health and Fitness Progress

The Lumen tracker app keeps a record of your measurements over time.

By tracking your progress, you can see how changes in your diet or activity levels impact your metabolism.

This helps you understand what works best for your body and make adjustments accordingly.

What is the Flex Score?

The Flex score from the Lumen metabolic tracker helps you understand your body’s metabolic flexibility, which is its ability to switch between using carbohydrates and fats for fuel.

So, it represents how efficiently your body can move between fat-burning and carb-burning modes.

Your goal should be to improve your flex score (use carbs when you eat them rather than storing them as fat).

You’ll get your first flex score after using the device for at least 2 weeks.

To use the Flex score, you first take a morning measurement with the Lumen device.

Based on your breath analysis, the tracker assigns you a Flex score ranging from 1 to 21, where a higher score indicates greater flexibility.

You can use this score as a guide to make informed decisions about your nutrition and activity levels.

For example, if you have a lower Flex score, focus on a balanced diet with moderate carbohydrate and fat intake, and if you have a higher score it may indicate that your body can efficiently utilize fats, allowing you to adjust your diet accordingly.

Regularly monitoring and using the Flex score can help you optimize your fuel utilization and overall metabolic health.

Is Lumen ideal for everyone? My honest opinion…

Is Lumen a good diet tool?

Or just good for motivation?

First of all it doesn’t ‘hack your metabolism’ per se…it’s up to you to use the data to do that.

The Lumen device measures your CO2 and then you need to put in the work to hack your own metabolism.

I think we get used to hearing general exercise and nutrition advice that’s served on repeat from every outlet and forget that our own bodies are unique and what works for one person might not work for you.

So, using a device like this to get your personalized data can be a gamechanger because you can customize nutrition and fitness suggestions to your own body’s needs to get the best results.

My favorite things about the Lumen metabolic tracker…

• It’s easy to use

• You can use it to see how stress, sleep, hormone levels, your exercise and what you eat affect your metabolism

• The device adds a level of gamification to monitoring your metabolism. It’s fun to see how you can manipulate your metabolism with your lifestyle choices

• It motivates you to exercise

• The nutrition advice and resources in the app are the best I’ve seen

Who is this device ideal for…

• Fitness enthusiasts/athletes: People engaged in various physical activities, such as athletes, gym or home exercisers, and sports enthusiasts, can benefit from personalized nutrition insights to optimize their performance

• Anyone trying to lose weight who wants to have a ‘hands-on’ learning experience about how your body uses carbs and how your metabolism works

• People that are driven by data and looking to improve their overall health and fitness

What would make it better?

It would be nice if the device could store your reading without having to pair with the app.

This isn’t a huge deal (most people usually have their phone with them) but there were a few times that I thought it would be convenient to put the Lumen in my pocket to get a quick reading without having to open the app

A lower price.

At this time there’s nothing else like it on the market so Lumen is setting the price. If a competitor enters the marketplace I expect you might see an adjustment in the price.

For the record, it’s worth the investment.

A more informed/motivated population.

After 20 years in the health and fitness industry, I’ve learned that far more people than I like to admit would rather be handed a to-do list of food and workouts than take the time to learn how nutrition works in their body or how to choose a workout program. (However, since you’re here, that’s not you.)

The biggest barrier for the Lumen metabolic device is that you have to be willing to learn how to apply the information it gives you to get anything out of it. Be that person and you’ll love it.

How much is Lumen?

Always check the Lumen website to verify current pricing and take advantage of any promotions!

These are your options for purchasing a Lumen today:

• 3 month app subscription + Lumen device: $249
• 6-month app subscription + Lumen device: $299
• 12-month app subscription + Lumen device: $349

My recommendation?

Learn everything you can about this device before you invest in it.

Here’ how:

Follow all the social channels for the Lumen

• Lumen Instagram
• Lumen Facebook
• Lumen on Twitter

Take time to view some of the YouTube videos on the Lumen channel.

Sign up for Lumen’s email list (you might get a discount code in your Inbox!)

Read some of the articles on Lumen’s blog

Browse the FAQ’s for the Lumen metabolic tracker

And read reviews like this one to better understand what to expect if you decide to invest so that you can optimize your experience with the device.

PRO TIP: If you really want a Lumen Metabolic Tracker but aren’t ready to invest in it then ask for a Lumen gift card for your next birthday, Valentine’s, anniversary, Mother’s Day, Christmas (you get the picture)!

Where can you buy a Lumen Metabolic Tracker?

Click here to purchase a Lumen metabolic tracker!*

Use the code: OSSG for $50 off at checkout!

Learn more about your metabolic health

Metabolic Health and Weight Loss in Women (advice from an expert)