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#Post#: 60--------------------------------------------------
Body Composition and Body Fat Percentage
DIR By: LightMove
Date: November 19, 2021, 2:13 am
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Body composition is the proportion of fat and non-fat mass in
your body. A healthy body composition is one that includes a
lower percentage of body fat and a higher percentage of non-fat
mass, which includes muscle, bones, and organs.
Knowing your body composition can help you assess your health
and fitness level. Often, you will measure your body composition
at the start of a weight-loss or fitness program and then check
it periodically to monitor your progress.
What Is Body Composition?
Your body is composed of two types of mass, body fat, and
non-fat mass.1 Here's some key difference between the two:
Body fat: This can be found in muscle tissue, under the skin
(subcutaneous fat), or around organs (visceral fat). Some fat is
necessary for overall health. "Essential fat" helps protect
internal organs, stores fuel for energy, and regulates important
body hormones. But you may also have excess storage of fat and
non-essential body fat.
Non-fat mass: This includes bone, water, muscle, organs, and
tissues. It may also be called lean tissue. Non-fat mass tissues
are metabolically active, meaning they burn calories for energy,
while body fat does not.
Body fat percentage is a measurement of body composition telling
how much of the weight of your body is fat. The percentage of
your body that is not fat is fat-free mass. There are normal
ranges for body fat, which differ for men and women.
Weighing yourself on a regular bathroom scale does not assess
your body composition. A regular scale cannot tell how much of
your total weight is comprised of water, fat, or muscle. To know
whether your body composition is healthy, you should get an
estimate of your body fat percentage. You can do so by taking
simple measurements and entering them into a body fat percentage
calculator.
Healthy Body Composition
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) gives the following
ranges of values for different populations.
ACE Body Fat Percent Norms for Men and Women
Description
Women
Men
Essential Fat
10% to 13%
2% to 5%
Athletes
14% to 20%
6% to 13%
Fitness
21% to 24%
14% to 17%
Acceptable
25% to 31%
18% to 24%
Obese
Over 32%
Over 25%
Athletes tend to have lower body fat, which may be beneficial
for performance in sports such as running and cycling. But
having an extremely low body fat percent is a health problem.
For example, the female athlete triad increases the risk of
injury and health issues. It includes eating disorders,
amenorrhea, and decreased bone mass with an increased risk of
stress fractures and osteoporosis.
If you are overweight or obese, you have an excessive amount of
body fat and a high body fat percentage.
If your body fat percentage is too high, you can improve your
body composition by gaining lean body mass through building
muscle and bones and by losing excess body fat.
How to Measure Body Composition
There are several ways to get an estimate of your body fat
percentage at home, at the gym, or from your doctor.
Bioelectrical Impedance
Bioelectrical impedance can be measured by handheld units and by
BIA body fat scales that you step onto like a regular scale.
These tools pass a small electrical current through your
body.Fat, water, and lean tissue impede the current differently
to give the reading.
Many scales are sold for home use and no special training is
required. Some scales, like the BodyPedia, even sync with your
fitness tracker so that you can see how changes to your daily
activity and diet affect your weight.
HTML https://bodypedia.ytmfinnovation.com/
Skinfold Measurements
Taking skinfold measurements is a method often used by fitness
trainers or as part of a weight loss program. Calipers take
measurements at different parts of your body and then a
calculation helps translate them into a body fat percentage.
DEXA Scan
A DEXA scan, or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan, is
performed in a medical setting and can also be used to check for
bone density.
Hydrostatic Weighing
Hydrostatic weighing is a method that requires you to be fully
submerged in water. This gold standard for body fat measurement
involves being dunked in a water tank. It's harder to find a
clinic or gym that offers this service.
Factors Affecting Body Composition
Your body composition can also be influenced by factors you
can't control:
Age: People lose muscle mass as they age if they don't maintain
it with sufficient weight training. This results in a slower
metabolism.
Genes: These play a role in whether you are naturally lean or
have a tendency to retain fat, including where you store it.
Hormones: These can influence water retention and body
composition.
Sex: Women have more body fat than men as nature's way of
preparing for pregnancy and nursing.
Should You Change Your Body Composition?
If your body fat percentage is too high, you may want to try to
decrease it to improve your health, athletic performance, and
well-being. You may also be able to lower your risk of disease.
If your body fat percent is below the level of essential fat,
you may also want to make changes to bring it, as that will
reduce your health risks as well.
To change your body composition for better health and fitness,
aim to increase muscle mass and decrease excess fat mass. You
can change your diet, start an exercise program, or combine both
methods.
A Word From Verywell
Your body composition and body fat are important measurements
when you are on a weight loss program. You could be successful
in losing fat and gaining muscle without seeing your weight go
down. Tracking your weight loss and fitness efforts with body
composition measurement is a good way to see your progress. It
is easier than ever with the wide availability of body fat
scales.
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