Body Composition

Body Composition

• Used to describe the amount of fat, bone, muscle and water in our bodies

• Because muscular tissue takes up less space in our bodies than fatty tissue, our body composition and weight determines our leanness

6 most common methods of testing• BMI

• Skin fold calipers

• Bio Impedance

• Hydrostatic Weighing

• Whole Body Plethysmography (BOD POD)

• DEXA Scan

BMI (Body Mass Index)• A measure of relative weight based on an

individual’s height and mass

• Does not measure body fat % directly

• A good indicator of body fat for most people

• Not as accurate as other methods

• Can give false readings for some people

BMI• BMI Formula• Weight in pounds/Height in inches2 x 703

• Mr. Hersee’s BMI=• 175/5476=0.03 x 703=22.46

BMI

Skinfold Callipers• Measures skin fold thickness from 3-9 different

locations on body to determine an estimate percentage of body fat

• Triceps, shoulder blade, abdomen, calf, and sides most common areas measured

• Results put into a table that equates skin fold readings to body fat percentages

• Quick and easy to do, however inaccurate for people with localized body fat

BIO Impedance• Quick and easy to do

• Subject holds a device in their hands that sends an electrical current through body into other hand

• Device measures how quickly current returns to device

• Can be inaccurate on people with lower amounts of body fat

Hydro Static Weighing• Subject sits on a swing attached to a scale above

a large pool of water• Subject blows out all air and goes completely

under water, holding breath for at least ten seconds

• This test measures how much water is displaced by subject going under water giving a body density reading

• The reading shows a subjects volume on land minus the weight under water

BOD POD • Subjects step inside an egg shaped pod

• Pod measures how much air you displace giving a reading of your overall density

• Difficult to find, expensive

• Most people will never even see one!

DEXA Scan

• Subject injected with a small dose of radiation allowing x-ray to distinguish between fat, muscle and bone

• Has the ability to measure intramuscular body fat• Giving a higher reading of body fat than other tests