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Sacramento · Guide · DEXA and VO2 max

DEXA and VO2 max testing in Sacramento

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 Sacramento clinics offer them.

Main tests: A DEXA scan and a VO2 max test Plus metabolic rate, strength and balance tests
What you do: Lie still, then a short, hard workout Ask how to prepare
You get: How you compare with people your age And when to retest

Sacramento photograph by Leo_Visions · Unsplash

The tests, in plain English

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.

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.

Cash price: $65 to $249

VO2 max test

Measures how well your body uses oxygen while you exercise hard, on a bike or treadmill with a mask on.

Cash price: $100 to $675

Resting metabolic rate

Measures how many calories you burn at rest by analyzing your breath while you sit quietly.

Cash price: $50 to $300

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.

Strength, mobility and balance

Simple tests like grip strength, standing up from a chair and holding your balance.

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

Physical activity in Sacramento, by the numbers

The rate of physical inactivity in Sacramento is lower than the national rate. About 1 in 5 adults in Sacramento did no physical activity outside work in the past month, compared with about 1 in 4 nationally. That adds up to roughly 400,000 adults across four counties.

21.0%of adults in Sacramento did no physical activity outside work in the past monthUS: 25.1%

400,000adults in Sacramento did no physical activity outside work in the past monthEstimated from CDC county figures

0Sacramento clinics list dexa and vo₂ max testing

Sacramento does better than the US on all 3 measures

Share of adults, 2023. Lower is better.

No exercise outside work

21.0%

25.1%

Obesity

28.7%

33.2%

Serious difficulty walking

13.5%

13.8%

↓ Data

By county

County	No exercise outside work	Obesity	Serious difficulty walking
Sacramento	21.5%	29.6%	14.0%
Placer	19.1%	27.3%	12.2%
Yolo	22.4%	25.7%	11.7%
El Dorado	19.5%	27.7%	13.9%
Sacramento	21.0%	28.7%	13.5%
United States	25.1%	33.2%	13.8%

Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Sacramento = Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties, weighted by adult population.

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Your regular doctor is the place to start, especially before a big change in how active you are. The tests above show where you're starting from, so progress is easier to see later.

We have not yet profiled a Sacramento clinic that publishes this. That is a statement about our guide and about what clinics put on their own pages, not a finding that nobody here offers it.

How a testing visit usually goes

Goals first

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

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

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

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

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

Go deeper

Common questions

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)

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.