How to Measure Body Composition
What is body composition anyway? Check out this article to learn how to measure body composition and what’s important about it!
We’ve only started measuring body composition in the last century but that is phenomenal news as it is a key indicator of fitness and overall health. Knowing your body composition can help you set realistic fitness goals, and track your progress toward those goals.
There are a few different ways to measure it, but which one is right for you? In this blog post, we’ll go over how to measure body composition and the different methods you can use.
What Is Body Composition?
Body composition is the ratio of fat to lean tissue in your body. It can be measured by various methods, but most commonly uses skinfold calipers, bioelectrical impedance, or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA scan).
Why Is Body Composition Important?
Body composition is important because it can be a better predictor of health than body weight alone. For example, someone who is overweight but has a high percentage of muscle mass may be healthier than someone who is at a healthy weight but has a higher percentage of body fat.
What Is Body Fat?
Body fat is the adipose tissue that is stored in your body. It provides insulation and energy reserves, but too much body fat can lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
There are two main types of fat:
Subcutaneous Fat
This is the fat that you can see and feel just under your skin. It’s the “jiggly” fat that you can grab with your fingers.
Visceral Fat
This is the fat that surrounds your organs. It’s more difficult to lose and can be more dangerous to your health.
Body Composition Vs Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body composition and BMI are often confused, but they are two different things. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, or other factors that can affect body composition.
How to Measure Body Composition
We mentioned there are several ways to measure body composition. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
Skinfold calipers are devices that pinch the skin and underlying fat tissue to estimate body fat percentage. They are relatively cheap and easy to use, but they can be less accurate than other methods.
Bioelectrical impedance uses a small electrical current to estimate body fat percentage. It is generally more accurate than skinfold calipers, but it can be less reliable if you are dehydrated or have consumed alcohol recently.
A DEXA scan is the most accurate method of measuring body composition, but it is also the most expensive. It uses a low-dose x-ray to measure the composition of your entire body. Coupled with a biomarker test, it can give you a very accurate estimate of your body fat percentage and vital health metrics.
A biomarker test measures the levels of certain markers in your body. These markers can indicate whether you are at risk for certain diseases or health conditions.
Body Composition Scale
A body composition scale is a device that uses bioelectrical impedance to estimate your body fat percentage. They are generally more affordable than DEXA scans.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to measure your body composition, a body composition scale is a good option. These scales use bioelectrical impedance to estimate body fat percentage. They are generally accurate, but these too can be less reliable if you are dehydrated or have consumed alcohol recently.
Hydrostatic Weighing
Hydrostatic weighing is the most accurate method of measuring body composition, but it is also the most expensive and invasive. It involves being submerged in water and having your body fat percentage measured.
Bod Pod
The Bod Pod is an air displacement plethysmograph. It measures your body composition by measuring your body’s volume and density. The Bod Pod is considered to be one of the most accurate methods of measuring body composition, but it is also one of the most expensive.
How Often Should I Measure My Body Composition?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It depends on your goals and how you are progressing toward them. If you are trying to lose fat, you may want to measure your body composition more often so that you can track your progress.
If you are just curious about your body composition or are maintaining a healthy weight, measuring it once or twice a year is sufficient.
How to Interpret Your Body Composition Results
Body composition results can be a bit confusing. The most important thing to remember is that your body composition is made up of fat mass and lean mass. Fat mass is the weight of your fat tissue, and lean mass is the weight of your bones, muscles, and organs.
Your body fat percentage is the amount of fat mass divided by your total body weight. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and have 30 pounds of fat mass, your body fat percentage would be 15%. Healthy body fat percentage ranges vary by age and gender.
Your lean mass is everything except for your fat mass. So, in the example above, your lean mass would be 170 pounds (200 pounds total weight minus 30 pounds of fat mass).
Body composition results are usually given in terms of fat mass and lean mass, but you can also sometimes see your body fat percentage.
What Is a Healthy Body Composition?
A healthy body composition depends on your age, gender, and body type.
For example, cyclists and other endurance athletes typically have a higher percentage of body fat because they need more energy to sustain their activity level.
Generally speaking, women have more than men, and older adults have more than younger adults.
That said, there is no magic number for body fat percentage or any other parameter of body composition. The key is to be within a healthy range for your age, gender, and body type.
Managing Your Body Composition
Once you know your body composition, you can start working on managing it. If you have too much body fat, you may need to lose weight. If you have too little body fat, you may need to gain weight.
You can also use body composition to set fitness goals. For example, if you want to build muscle, you can track your progress by measuring your body fat percentage and comparing it to your goal.
Keep Track of Your Biomarkers
Now that you know how to measure body composition, it’s time to start tracking your results. Keep track of your body fat percentage, lean mass, and any other biomarkers you find important. Doing so will help you track your progress and make necessary changes to your diet and exercise routine.
Keep reading our health and fitness articles for more ways to improve your health.
