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February 14, 2020Philosophy of Science & Skepticism
February 27, 2020Lumen Reviews – Is the Lumen Metabolism Tracker Worth Buying?
When I saw a crowdfunding campaign for a Lumen Metabolism Tracker, a device that promised to measure your metabolism to send you dietary advice and help lose weight (or, preferably, alter body composition), I “supported” it without looking into the claims or science too much. The cost wasn’t prohibitive for me, and I was OK with losing the money and interested to see what was delivered. After 18 months, I finally received the device and conducted my Lumen reviews to put it to the test.
Lumen Reviews
When scouring Google for Lumen reviews, I saw mostly fluff pieces that didn’t dig into the machine, stress test it, or try to ascertain its accuracy. Likely, these are PR-driven articles intended to give positive coverage. I’ve seen commercials with doctors I know who are supporting it, but the language used is quite vague, as are the promises.
First off, what does the science say about breath analysis for measuring metabolism? The Lumen Metabolism Tracker, and several other marketed devices, use something called the respiratory quotient, which is a calculation based on inhaled and then exhaled CO2 and O2. This technology can be reasonably accurate, with some literature reviews opening it as the future i.
Reviews of medical machines designed for this purpose have shown to be reasonably accurate, with caveats that each machine needs to be reviewed to ensure flow rates and accuracy, ii and I have found publications from as far back as 2004, which found handheld devices as accurate as a mass spectrometer. iii The clinical relevance may be up for debate, with at least one multi-center clinical trial finding that the respiratory quotient should not be used to adjust nutrition support, due to the impact of other variables on the measurements. iv
Is the Lumen Metabolism Tracker Accurate?
So, the question then is, is the Lumen Metabolism Tracker accurate? And is it relevant to helping individuals achieve their goals? In regards to accuracy, I could not find any publications on their exact device on their website or in searches. They do state, on their website:
“In multiple studies, Lumen’s patent technology was deemed to accurately measure metabolic fuel usage when compared to the gold standard RQ for measuring metabolism.”
… but they do not link to said studies. Are they published? Were they peer-reviewed? In the only somewhat negative media review I could find, New Atlas quipped
“There is a hint of “too good to be true” to the technological development at its core, translating a metabolic measurement that classically needs up to an hour of analysis and large machines, into a tiny handheld device that only needs a single breath. However, the makers of the Lumen Metabolism Tracker call it breakthrough technology, and if it works as claimed then it surely is, although it’s difficult to not be a little skeptical about the fundamental claims.”
Lumen Metabolism Tracker Reviews and Stress Test Results
Now for my Lumen reviews and stress tests. I found that the Lumen Metabolism Tracker app had some serious limitations:
1) The app is not set up to allow extended fasting. It doesn’t allow you to “start your overnight fast” before 6 pm and doesn’t allow you to “end” your fast after 12 pm.
2) I’ve had the fully charged device shut off between measurement breaths. After this happened, it deleted my activity and sleep from the day before
3) The app assumes close compliance. For example, if it suggests you eat 12 servings of carbs, it doesn’t let you enter 0 and caps out on the total as well. This leads to potentially frequent inaccurate reporting.
4) Have you enter your weekly workout plan in advance… as if your workout routine is identical every week. That said, it does allow you to delete and add workouts each day.
Now, here are my results, and the confusing failures of reliable data when I purposefully entered incorrect information into the app. For the first week, I used the app exactly as their protocol suggests, breathing in the morning as well as before and 30 minutes after each workout. This supposedly measures your fat burning or carbohydrate burning on a scale of 1 to 5, and my measurements were consistently “3,” with daily advice to reduce my carbohydrate intake. This is ignoring the fact that I know I operate incredibly poorly on a no/very low carbohydrate diet, but it is seemingly their only suggestion.
My first eyebrow raise happened about 5 days in, after my 48 hours fast. I fast weekly, and as mentioned above, there is no option to enter that you are on a prolonged fast, nor has the app allowed me to reduce my carbs to “0” (it lets me reduce to 2 servings most days).
I work out more than normal on my fast days, to amplify the benefits, but had not worked out that day before my “fasted breath,” as that could throw off results. I again measured a “3,” as I had every day prior, and the app suggested I continue to eat the same low carb meal plan (urine strips had me at around 1 mmol/L into ketosis).
After these results, I decided to stress test the unit to make sure that faulty entered data wasn’t distorting their reported levels. First, I loaded on carbs and reduced my exercise for a couple of days. One day, my only food consumption was pizza and wine, in excess. I also stated I had exercised three times each day and had only consumed two servings of carbs. Both days I measured at the same “3” I had following their protocol.
From there, I ate and exercised as normal for a few days to “wash out,” and then tried a stress test in the other direction. I fasted for 48 hours, while working out hard, then ate low carb low calorie for 2 days, then fasted for 72 hrs. In my second fast, my Our ring had me at over 2,000 active calories burnt on day 1 (on top of my resting metabolic rate) and over 1,500 active calories on day 2.
My urine ketosis strips had me well over 4 mmol/L at the end of the second fast. As for the app? I entered the maximum amount of carbs they allowed each day and did not enter all of my workouts. My daily reading was a “4” out of 5 every day.
Apparently, during a 7-day stint in which 5 days fasted and the other 2 were calorie-controlled and low carb, I was burning mostly carbs and advised to “lower my carbs,” but while eating pizza and drinking wine, and not exercising, I was burning a “mix of carbs and fat.”
It is quite clear that they have some sort of equation that takes both the breath and the self-reported data into question and then spits out a number and recommendation, driving people to a low-carb diet. Very far away from what is promised.
Some may be enjoying this, but for me, I think it is all but worthless. If you want to follow a low-carb diet and need a daily planner to do it, I recommend printing off some sheets of paper for a nominal fee and tracking it yourself, while looking at your pre-written notes of encouragement. The Lumen Metabolism Tracker device and app seem no more beneficial than that strategy.
Did you know our hydrogen water tablets improving metabolic health are clinically validated for improving metabolic health? Read more in Drink HRW’s study on metabolic syndrome.
iv https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10931387_Clinical_use_of_the_respiratory_quotient_obtained_from_indirect_calorimetry
22 Comments
Thank you. The commercials are very misleading for this device.
Thank you! You saved me from buying it too. That level of inaccuracy is worthless.
Thank you, an honest review I am happy I found.
Thank you for taking the time to test and review this device. I can see it also saved plenty of others the time and money they would have otherwise spent.
Thanks, this review save my time and money.
“Hi Matthew, thanks for your comment
Of particular note (and I am sure this could be confirmed on a wayback machine) this review was posted for a couple of months without any links to our research on metabolic syndrome, and since I firmly believe there is no “”silver bullet”” solution, nor do I believe it ethical to state as much, there would be no benefit to give a negative review on this device. In fact, I bought this device for my own personal use, curious and hopeful.
It was after seeing repeated comments thanking for the review, and noting that the traffic was predominantly first time visitors unaware of anything else I am doing, that myself and my team decided to add links to our research and other relevant write ups.
Feel free to search my other reviews. Many of them are neutral, some positive, some negative with more coming. In no instance am I collecting an affiliate commission, and in many instances there is no way to construe what I am reviewing as competition for products of my design that I am selling. I am doing this out of a mission I have set out on, ad I detail here:
https://drinkhrw.com/blog/biohacking/
In fact, I have funded and founded a not for profit set to launch that will accomplish impartial reviews of many technologies:
myjourney.science”
Thank you for your article. This is what I expected although my biggest concern about your thoughts is that you are promoting something else. I understand you want to be compensated for your time but to have an unbiased review you shouldn’t be promoting a different method. Therefore, for me, this article is no better than all the positive articles/videos promoting the Lumen in which the author is also earning off of links to the Lumen.
Thanks for saving me the time of reading several reviews-your thorough review was all I needed. Sadly, they’re selling tons of these worthless devices.
Thanks for saving 300 bucks and more importantly, the frustration with the failed expectations.
Thank you!
Your review closely matches my experience. I did similar experiments with switching between carb loading and fasting and the results given by the device just seem random. Lumen does not work and is basically worthless. 240 $ thrown out of the window…
Very thorough and insightful review! Thanks
Thanks so much for this detailed analysis! Extremely helpful! Roseli
“Thanks to everyone who commented, glad you enjoyed my review! I am starting a new section where I dissect devices and biohacks, for some in much greater detail with statistical analysis, to find out what works. Many more coming.
Michael: Thanks for the comment. Interesting that you can avoid entering carbohydrates… That was not an option for me a few months ago when I did this. As noted, I was getting high readings while well into ketosis from water fasts, by entering false carbohydrate #s. Perhaps they shored up this issue. They’d be motivated to do so, as this review is on top of the google searches and hundreds of people are reading it a day.
Even if they’ve fixed that issue I’d contend that the usefulness of the device, from a health aspect, is contentious at best. For some, maybe, spending a few hundred dollars on a device that may help them know if they’re in ketosis.. but not accurately with a precise reading, could be worth it over using urine strips.. I wouldn’t personally be one of those people and I have more disposable income than the vast majority of the population, so my valuation of $ to benefit skews far beyond the average consumer, in terms of finding value… Anyways, glad you are finding use out of it. “
I have had better luck with the device, though it is sensitive to how I breathe right beforehand (e.g., swallow saliva, talk, hold breath). I got the device specifically in hopes that I wouldn’t have to buy urine strips anymore. I found using the device since December that I would go up and down between 2-5 depending on whether I went low-carb or not. Even when low carb, I’ve been eating too much protein to get to ketosis, so I usually wake up with a 2 reading and can stay a 2 all day. I made a concerted effort to get to ketosis this week by reducing my protein. First day my urine strip turned purple was the first day I saw a 1 come up on the lumen — I’ve never measured that low before. Also I used the option to just breathe without giving an input on how many carbs I’ve eaten, so I don’t think it uses that data to calculate the 1-5 rating. My guess is strangeness in the measurements is just being inconsistent with ones breathing. I’ve definitely noticed it’s sensitive to that.
@steven Vasquez I found a review here regarding Food Marble and its not great http://www.ladyoflyme.com/features/foodmarblereview I dont think these devices are ready yet and wont be for a little while, great concepts but I think us the public are just be
I was just about to purchase it when I read your review. Thank you. I was keto/low carb for a while and do IF and your post makes it hard to believe their device doesn’t have massive problems.
Your review highlights why honest non-pr reviews empower the readers to make informed decisions especially given the lack of testing data. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Such a helpful review! They just sent me one to review and endorse. I too do intermittent fasting, so this information is quite helpful. At the end of the day, it really comes down to calories in versus calories out and it doesn’t sound like Lumen even measures calories. You mention an OURRa ring, do you recommend? Thank you for your very thorough and insightful review.
Many thanks for the detailed breakdown and the the straight honesyfacts, I only wish every product out there had such detailed reviews and at least put some peer reviewed research sources on their website, I always found the pages which supposedly contain the evidence shows a 404 error!
Thank you for your review. It definitely sounded too good to be true which is why i went searching for reviews.
I got the Lumen from Indiegogo as well. I’m not impressed so far either for the same reasons you pointed out, but hoping the software improves. There are a couple of other breath analyzers like Food Marble and Keyto, I did not order them but curious about them as well.