Body Fat Analysis Techniques
69How many times have you stepped on the scale and either thrown up your hands in celebration or alternatively in disappointment and frustration? Amazing how the same physical action can result in two completely different reactions. Even more amazing though is how some people put so much stock in what that tiny number says. It's only a number. Really.
Here's why.
So you had a big bowl of cottage cheese last night. High in protein. Low in fat. Great source of slow releasing amino acids to help your muscle feed all night long. What better thing could you ask for in terms of staying on the best diet possible? You go to sleep, dreaming of the admirable body you are well on your way to obtaining.
The next morning comes and you step on that scale. It's up a pound. You step off and step on it again. Now the number's another half pound higher. What is going on? In a fit of rage you go and devour a toaster pastry figuring if your healthy diet isn't getting results why should you suffer.
What's wrong with this picture? The problem is that little did this person know, but that healthy bowl of cottage cheese they had, while definitely being a great food to include on a fat loss plan, is also quite high in sodium. Depending on how big the bowl was, you might just find that it's enough to affect your water retention levels and lead to a change on the bathroom scale. So in all reality, while that number did go up, it is temporary and in no way implicative that you gained body fat. That toaster pastry however, if there is one thing that likely did cause you to gain fat, that is it - and it came about because of your brush with cottage cheese, an actual healthy thing to be consuming (in moderation of course).
As you can see, you should not let the scale be the sole judge of your progress. If you do, you are only setting yourself up for frustration and confusion. The best solution is to forget about the scale altogether and instead get a body fat analysis done.
A body fat analysis reading is a much better idea because it will measure how much lean mass you have compared with how much fat mass you have. When your lean mass is going up, or alternatively your fat mass is going down, you know you are making progress. By monitoring it this way, even if per say you are trying to lose weight, if you see the lean mass go up and fat mass staying the same, yes you have gained weight but you are now at a lower body composition (fat mass with respect to total mass). This is what really matters. If you would have been in the same scenario on the scale, you would have only seen that number rise and then guess what - hello box of cookies, which again only aggravates the problem further.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
This is a fairly new technique and is done by holding a device that sends a small electrical current through the body that is carried by water and fluids. The impedance is always greatest in fat tissue as fat tissue contains the lowest amount of water (10-20%) and lowest in fat free mass which contains about 70-75% water. By typing in the individual's height, weight and gender this machine sends the current through the body and determines the resistance it experiences and therefore your body fat percentage.
This method is probably most flawed however as even having some fluid to drink before the test can produce misleading results. Similarly if you happen to be dehydrated, again your results will not be accurate. Other factors such as exercising beforehand, drinking alcohol, eating before, taking prescription drugs and the menstrual cycle (for women) can also cause inaccurate readings. For these reasons, this is probably the one analysis you should avoid if at all possible. Unfortunately though it is the one that is most commonly used in the gym.
Near Infrared Interactance
Another method of body fat analysis that many people are starting to look into these days is near infrared interactance. This method goes by how well optical densities travel linearly through the related subcutaneous and total body fat. The NIR light goes into the tissue and is reflected off the bone to the detector in the machine and then data is recorded and put into a prediction equation along with their height, weight, frame size and activity level.
The great thing about this method is that it is simple, cost-effective and quick and doesn't involve any invasive or uncomfortable procedures. The bad thing however is that the measure may become flawed depending on the subjects skin color or hydration level. There is also a higher incidence of inaccurate errors in very lean or very overweight people further limiting which population should use this technique.
DEXA
The last method and probably the most accurate is a DEXA (dual emery X-ray Absorptiometry). This is a fairly new development and divides the body into three different compartments: fat free mass, fat mass and body mineral content. This method relies on the fact that bone mineral content is directly proportional to the amount of photon energy that is being absorbed by the particular bone that is being looked at.
The process is done in a whole body scanner that has two low-dose X-rays that are able to measure both the bone and soft tissue at the same time. The scanner usually moves around a person's body while it is in a reclined position and collects that data in intervals. The process takes about 10-20 minutes to complete and is safe and non-invasive, making this a very good process for anyone with a low tolerance for pain or discomfort. This is the most reliable way to testing body fat and is one used the most in hospital settings. Unfortunately it does have the drawback of extremely expensive equipment though making it not a frequent choice for most gyms.
Body Fat Analysis Techniques
There are various methods that you can use to measure your body fat levels.
Underwater Weighing
The first method of body fat analysis is through underwater weighing. It is a measure of whole body density by determining total body volume. To have it performed you will likely need to go to a special facility or university as they need to have a 'dunk tank' for you to get into and then the special devices that weigh you. Since the bones and muscles have a higher density than fat when in water, the higher their total body density is the lower body fat will be. The person doing the test will have a special formula that they put these numbers into (weight and density) to give a good approximation of what your total body fat percentage is.
The only drawback to this method is that you are required to force all of the air out of your lungs before being submerged and if there does happen to be some residual air left, it will likely skew the test results.
Skin Calipers
The next method of performing a body fat analysis is through the use of skin callipers. This is a hand held device that exerts a pressure on the skin in various regions of the body, reading the thickness of the 'fat' it is able to grab. These numbers are then placed into a formula to give an approximation of total body fat.
The nice thing about this technique is that it is fairly easy to do and cost effective, the drawback is that if the person doing it is not highly skilled, the number may be off. Additionally, if you have it done once by one person and then again by another a few months later, the difference in tester techniques could alter the readings as well. The best way to use callipers as a judge is first to always have it performed by a similar person and then secondly to not use it so much as an absolute but more as a trend. If the numbers are getting lower then you know you are moving in the right direction.
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So before you get all disappointed when stepping on the scale, really ask yourself how accurate the scale is in determining your progress. It is clearly not the best indicator when it comes to how well your fitness training program is working and should only be used as a general guide. A much better thing to do is have a body fat test done by a qualified professional on a regular basis so you can gauge whether or not those numbers are changing.
