PNOE launches a self-serve breath-testing mask for gyms
PNOE is preparing to launch PNOE 2.0 on October 1, a mask that lets users perform metabolic breath tests without a trained operator. The device measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide to estimate VO2 max, resting metabolic rate, metabolic flexibility, and other biomarkers. The company says an eight-minute self-administered test could make lab-grade metabolic testing available in more fitness centers and potentially pharmacies.
PNOĒ, a decade-old company, has offices in Malden, Massachusetts, and Athens, Greece. Its PNOĒ 2.0, launching October 1, lets users perform the test without a trained operator. The eight-minute session measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide output, producing 23 biomarkers including VO₂ max, resting metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility.
The electronics detach from the silicone mask and straps, allowing shared hardware while each user keeps a personal mask. PNOĒ calls itself a wellness device, not an FDA-cleared medical tool, and says it does not give medical advice. Metabolic breath testing is over a century old, but bulky, costly equipment once confined it mostly to labs and hospitals.
If self-administered metabolic testing proves reliable, it could broaden access beyond sports labs and elite programs. Gym members and pharmacy customers may gain convenient fitness and calorie-burn insights, while fitness centers could add premium services without hiring trained operators. Yet because PNOĒ is marketed as a wellness device and not FDA-cleared, users and clinicians may need to treat results as motivational data rather than diagnosis. The impact likely depends on accuracy, cost, and adoption.