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Phoenix-Scottsdale · Test guide · DEXA and VO2 max

DEXA and VO2 max testing in Phoenix-Scottsdale

Tests that measure your muscle, bone, fat and fitness, the things that keep you strong and independent as you age. Here's what each one tells you and which Phoenix-Scottsdale clinics offer them.

Phoenix photograph by Matthew Hamilton · Unsplash
The short answer

A DEXA scan measures bone, muscle and fat, including the fat around your organs. A VO2 max test measures your fitness, which is strongly linked to long-term health. Both are most useful repeated over time, so you can see whether your training is working.

The tests, in plain English

Think of it like checking a car. DEXA looks at the frame: your bones and muscle. VO2 max tests the engine: how well your heart and lungs deliver oxygen.

DEXA scan

A low-dose X-ray that measures your fat, muscle and bone density, including the fat around your organs. You lie still for about 10 minutes.

Cash price: $75 to $249

For: Anyone tracking muscle, fat or bone

VO2 max test

Measures how well your body uses oxygen while you exercise hard, on a bike or treadmill with a mask on. Fitness is one of the strongest signals of long-term health.

Cash price: $105 to $675

For: Anyone who can safely exercise hard

Resting metabolic rate

Measures how many calories you burn at rest by analyzing your breath while you sit quietly. Useful for planning nutrition and weight goals.

Cash price: $99 to $300

For: People working on weight or nutrition

Bioimpedance body composition

A scale or handheld device that sends a tiny current through your body to estimate fat and muscle. Quick and cheap, but readings shift with how much water you have had.

For: A quick check between DEXA scans

Strength, mobility and balance

Simple tests like grip strength, standing up from a chair and holding your balance. Quick, cheap, and closely tied to staying independent as you age.

For: Everyone, especially from midlife on

Prices that clinics publish on their own websites, across all the cities we cover. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic.

Showing 4 clinics that publish dexa and vo₂ max testing in Phoenix-Scottsdale

C.B. Daniel, MDSherri Jarvis, MS, NASM
Longevity center of a national brand, built around a performance health assessment and a hormone and coaching program, with one named physician.

Cenegenics Phoenix

Via Linda, Scottsdale
Whole-body baselineGenetics & biological ageHeart & circulation

Cenegenics Phoenix is the Scottsdale center of a national longevity brand, serving the greater Phoenix area, with one physician and one performance health coach named on its page. The center lists VO2 max, DEXA, Advanced CCTA analyzed by Cleerly, a brain EEG, CIMT, exercise physiology testing and genetic and micronutrient testing, alongside hormone replacement and bioidentical hormone therapy. Led by C.B. Daniel, MD.

Tests & services

DEXA scan VO₂ max testing Carotid ultrasound Genetic & genomic testing +4 more
See if it’s a fit →
Testing location on Cactus Road built around DEXA body composition, VO2 max and resting metabolic rate, with nutrition coaching. Testing studio

Composition ID Scottsdale

Cactus Road, Scottsdale
Strength, fitness & body compositionMetabolic health & blood sugar

Composition ID's Scottsdale location on Cactus Road offers DEXA scans measuring body fat, lean mass, bone density and visceral fat across five body regions. It also runs VO2 max testing of aerobic, lactate and anaerobic threshold zones and resting metabolic rate testing. Nutrition coaches build a customised 3-month programme from each client's body composition and metabolism data.

Tests & services

DEXA scan VO₂ max testing Metabolic rate testing
See if it’s a fit →
DexaFit Scottsdale clinic
Testing lab built around DEXA body composition, VO₂ max, resting metabolic rate, strength, movement and arterial stiffness assessments. Testing studio

DexaFit Scottsdale

Greenway-Hayden Loop, Scottsdale
Strength, fitness & body compositionGenetics & biological ageHeart & circulation

DexaFit Scottsdale is a testing lab off Scottsdale Road selling an AI-enhanced DEXA scan, VO₂ max and resting metabolic rate tests, Strength & Power and 3D movement assessments, and a SphygmoCor arterial assessment. The DEXA report covers visceral fat, muscle health, bone density and biological age. Staff hold degrees in exercise science and walk each client through their results in a private consultation room.

Tests & services

DEXA scan VO₂ max testing Metabolic rate testing
See if it’s a fit →
Dr. Jesse GreerIlana Kasal
Physician-led longevity clinic offering a 100+ biomarker blood panel, DEXA, VO2 max and metabolic rate testing, alone or in one assessment.

Preamble Health

North Scottsdale
Strength, fitness & body compositionMetabolic health & blood sugarMedical weight loss

Preamble Health is a physician-led longevity clinic at 16430 N Scottsdale Rd in North Scottsdale, founded by Dr. Jesse Greer. Its flagship 3-6 hour assessment combines a 100+ biomarker blood panel, DEXA, VO2 max and resting metabolic rate testing and 14-day continuous glucose monitoring with a Health Intelligence Report. Each test is also offered on its own, with GLP-1 and HRT/TRT support for members. Led by Dr. Jesse Greer.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring DEXA scan GLP-1 weight loss program +5 more
See if it’s a fit →

How a testing visit usually goes

  1. Goals first

    Muscle, bone, fitness or weight. This decides which tests to book.

  2. The tests

    DEXA is 10 minutes lying still. VO2 max is a short, hard workout. Ask how to prepare.

  3. Results, explained

    How you compare with people your age, and what to aim for.

  4. Retest

    After a few months of training. Use the same machine each time so the numbers compare.

Good to know. A VO2 max test pushes you to your limit. If you have heart symptoms or a heart condition, ask for a doctor-supervised test. Bone density screening is recommended for women 65 and over, and for younger women after menopause at higher risk, and insurance may cover that version.

If you've had a recent injury or chest symptoms during exercise, see your doctor before a fitness test.

DEXA and VO₂ max testing: common questions

Which clinics in Phoenix-Scottsdale publish dexa and vo₂ max testing?

4 in our Phoenix-Scottsdale guide: Cenegenics Phoenix, Composition ID Scottsdale, DexaFit Scottsdale and Preamble Health.

Is a DEXA for body composition the same as a bone density scan?

Same machine, different settings. A bone density scan looks at your hip and spine. A body composition scan covers your whole body. Insurance usually covers only bone density, and only when you meet the screening rules.

How often should I retest?

Often after a few months of training, then once a year. Use the same machine and similar conditions each time, like the same time of day and how much you've eaten.

Is my watch's VO2 max good enough?

Watches estimate it from your heart rate and pace. They're useful for spotting trends, but can be off for one person. A lab test measures the air you breathe in and out.

What does a VO2 max test feel like?

You ride or run while the effort keeps rising, wearing a mask, until you can't keep going. It's hard, but short.

What does it cost, and will insurance cover it?

These are usually self-pay. Bone density screening may be covered when you meet the screening rules. Our guides on cost and insurance go deeper.

How do you decide which clinics appear on this page?

A clinic appears here when its own published material shows it offers this kind of testing at that location.

Sources (2)
  1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Osteoporosis to prevent fractures: screening
  2. American Heart Association, Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice: a case for fitness as a clinical vital sign

This page is educational information, not medical advice, and it is not a recommendation to have or to skip any test. What is right for you depends on your age, your history and your personal risk, so discuss it with a clinician who knows them. If you have a symptom that concerns you, seek a medical evaluation.