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San Antonio · Guide · DEXA and VO2 max

DEXA and VO2 max testing in San Antonio

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 San Antonio 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
San Antonio photograph by Eric Francis · 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 San Antonio, by the numbers

The rate of physical inactivity in San Antonio is higher than the national rate. About 1 in 3 adults in San Antonio did no physical activity outside work in the past month, compared with about 1 in 4 nationally. That adds up to roughly 600,000 adults across seven counties.

29.4%of adults in San Antonio did no physical activity outside work in the past monthUS: 25.1%
600,000adults in San Antonio did no physical activity outside work in the past monthEstimated from CDC county figures
1San Antonio clinic lists dexa and vo₂ max testingSee them below
San Antonio does not do better than the US on any of the 3 measures
Share of adults, 2023. Lower is better.
No exercise outside work
Obesity
Serious difficulty walking
↓ Data
By county
CountyNo exercise outside workObesitySerious difficulty walking
Bexar30.6%34.1%14.3%
Comal21.8%35.0%12.0%
Guadalupe25.9%34.7%13.4%
Medina30.5%39.5%16.1%
Wilson26.6%35.3%14.5%
Kendall21.2%34.3%12.2%
Atascosa35.0%42.2%17.0%
San Antonio29.4%34.5%14.1%
United States25.1%33.2%13.8%

Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. San Antonio = Bexar, Guadalupe, Comal, Medina, Kendall, Wilson and Atascosa counties, weighted by adult population.

longevityclinicshub.com

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.

Showing 1 clinic that publish dexa and vo₂ max testing in San Antonio

How we order clinics
Prisiliano Salas Jr., MDMonica Salas, MD

Salveo Direct Care

Huebner Road, San Antonio
Prisiliano Salas Jr., MD, Monica Salas, MD and 2 more
Heart & circulationMetabolic health & blood sugar

Salveo Direct Care is a direct primary care and lifestyle medicine practice on Huebner Road in San Antonio with four physicians. Its Salveo Blü service offers bio-identical hormone therapy and lifestyle coaching. Its Salveo Elite executive health assessment includes a CT calcium score, echocardiogram, stress test with VO2 max, pulmonary function test, DEXA and an advanced lipid panel. Led by Prisiliano Salas Jr., MD, Monica Salas, MD, Sharvari Parghi, MD and 1 more.

Tests & services

DEXA scan Advanced lipid panel Echocardiogram Electrocardiogram +1 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.

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

Go deeper

Explainer What a DEXA scan shows about your body, and what it costs

One machine, two scans. What each one measures, how to read your report, and what it costs.
Explainer VO2 max by age: what’s a good number for you?

A chart by age and sex, how much oxygen your body can use at full effort, and what the test costs.
Explainer Healthspan vs lifespan

Living longer and living well are different goals, 9.6 years apart worldwide and 12.4 in the United States. What healthspan is made of, what tends to end it, and what actually moves it.

Common questions

Which clinics in San Antonio publish dexa and vo₂ max testing?

1 in our San Antonio guide: Salveo Direct Care.

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.

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