DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Light&Move
HTML https://lightmovetech.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: General Discussion
*****************************************************
#Post#: 63--------------------------------------------------
What is Body Composition Analysis?
DIR By: LightMove
Date: November 20, 2021, 1:50 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Body composition is one of the most effective ways to measure
health and longevity. It gives you great insight into your
health and can be used to measure your progress toward your
personal goals. Here’s what body composition analysis is and how
it can be used to your benefit.
What is Body Composition Analysis?
Your body composition refers to what percentage of your body is
made of fat and muscle, among other components.
While stepping on a scale or determining your body mass index
(BMI) are often the go-to ways to try and get a numerical sense
of your health, they don’t really tell you much. In fact, the
CDC actually says that BMI is not a good tool for
accurately determining someone’s body fat, or to assess overall
health. This is because BMI doesn’t take into consideration the
different components that make up your individual body. Plus,
while fat and muscle can weigh the same, muscle is much more
dense.
On the other hand, a body composition analysis is a method of
measuring exactly how your whole body is composed. This includes
what percentage of your body is made up of fat and muscle, as
well as your unique composition of minerals, protein, and water.
This type of testing is a much more targeted and accurate
measure of your weight and composition than many other
approaches.
Types of Body Composition Analysis
There are several types of body composition analyses that can be
conducted using the measurements of your body. Two of the most
common approaches are outlined below.
2C Model:
The 2C (“compartment”) model primarily measures your fat mass
and your fat-free mass, and uses these values along with your
total body weight to determine your body fat percentage.
The average body fat mass for healthy men is around 8-19% and
21-33% for healthy women. While people are often trying to lower
the amount of fat on their bodies, having an extremely low body
fat mass isn’t recommended. Fat is an essential part of your
body composition, as it leads a number of important functions.
When it comes to fat-free mass, this refers to everything in
your body that isn’t made up of fat, like body water, your
organs, tissue, and skeleton.
4C Model:
The 4C model is more detailed in that it breaks down your body
measurements into 4 categories: body water, protein contained in
your muscles, minerals in your bloodstream and bone tissues, and
fat.
Methods of Measuring Body Composition
Several types of body composition tests can be done to collect
the data needed for the analysis. Below are a few of the most
frequently used methods for gathering data on your body
composition.
Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)
While the DEXA scan was first created to measure bone density,
it’s now being used to measure body fat and muscle mass too.
This involves laying down in a large machine, which will send
X-rays throughout your body to collect composition information.
The DEXA scan can measure your body in segments, collecting
information on the fat mass, soft lean mass, and bone density in
each arm and leg individually, for example. DEXA scans can be
costly and typically require an appointment to be made with a
clinic.
Hydrostatic Weighing
Also called underwater weighing, this approach involves using
your weight underwater to determine your body fat percentage.
This typically looks like a small pool in which you will sit on
a special scale and be submerged after exhaling all of your
breath. Body fat percentage is calculated using your underwater
weight, your weight on land, and the pool water density.
Skinfold Calipers
This tool is frequently utilized to measure body composition
because it’s accessible and fairly easy to use. The calipers
will be used to pinch external body fat in several places on
your body, measuring how much skin can be gripped. Calculations
are then done with these values to determine your body fat
percentage. Note that results from using a skinfold caliper can
vary depending on who performed the measurements, and how
accurately the test is redone if comparing results between
multiple assessments.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
One of the most accurate measurements of body composition, and
my favorite, is the Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA).
How Does a Bioimpedance Test Work?
This test uses a small electrical current to measure your body
composition by way of your body water. It gives a lot of
information about your body, beyond just body fat percentage,
and can usually be done without the help of a trained
technician. A BIA will quantify your muscle mass, fat mass,
hydration status, and cellular integrity.
Keep in mind that there are several types of BIA devices
available, which can vary in their accuracy and the amount of
information they can collect. Medical-grade BIAs are the most
in-depth, and can measure your entire body, whereas
consumer-level BIA devices can measure your leg impedance but
then use this to estimate your upper body results. Nearly all
BIA devices will be able to tell you your body fat percentage,
but the higher level ones are generally more accurate and can
also tell you things like skeletal muscle mass, lean body mass,
and body water weight, such as
Bodypedia.
HTML https://bodypedia.ytmfinnovation.com/
Why Measure Your Body Composition?
Knowing your body composition, and understanding what these
numbers mean, is a great place to start if you’re looking to
make some changes or improvements to your physical health.
I perform BIA during initial client assessments, to help create
the best meal plan and health strategies tailored just for you.
Subsequent BIA testing is typically done every 4-6 weeks to help
determine the effectiveness of your nutrition and fitness
programming and make timely adjustments accordingly.
Remember that physical activity goes hand in hand with nutrition
when setting and achieving your health goals. The Body Revive
Diet program may be the perfect fit to help you look and feel
better, have more energy, and jumpstart better eating habits, to
support your body composition goals.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1