Archive for fat composition
Body Composition Scale Blog!
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to Body Composition Scale.
Welcome to BodyCompositionScale.net! Valhalla Scientific is the technology leader in professional Body Composition Scales. Our Body Composition Analyzer Scales or Body Fat Scales constitute a set of digital scales which are scientifically proven to be the equivalent of hydrostatic weighing scales for the accurate determination of Lean Body Mass, Body Mass Index or Fat Free Mass while providing Percent Body Fat Measurements using scientifically proven bio-impedance technology or bio-resistance technology.
A person’s total body fat percentage is the total weight of the person’s fat divided by the person’s weight. The resulting number reflects both essential fat and storage fat.
- Essential fat is that amount of fat necessary for maintenance of life and reproductive functions. The percentage for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. Essential fat is 2–5% in men, and 10–13% in women.
- Storage fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The minimum recommended total body fat percentage exceeds the essential fat percentage value reported above. A number of online tools are available for calculating estimated body fat percentage.
Arguably, body fat percentage is the superior gauge of an individual’s fitness level, as it is the only body measurement which directly calculates the particular individual’s body composition without regard to the individual’s height or weight. The widely-used body mass index (BMI), on the other hand, simply makes blanket assumptions as to what every individual of a certain height should ideally weigh, regardless of the body composition which makes up that weight. The BMI gives particularly inaccurate information with regard to individuals with above-average lean muscle mass, classifying such individuals as “overweight” or “obese” despite the fact that their body fat percentage would indicate they are in excellent physical condition.
Body Composition Scale – Measurement Techniques Part 2
Posted by: | CommentsBody Composition Scale – Measurement Techniques Part 2
This is the second part of our series on body composition measurement techniques. As you may recall from the previous article, a person’s exact body fat percentage generally cannot be determined, but there are several techniques which can be used to estimate it accurately. In Part 1 of this series, we explored near-infrared interactance and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. In this article, we will explore additional body composition scale and measurement techniques.
Body Composition Scales – Expansions
There are several more complicated procedures that more accurately determine body fat percentage. Some, referred to as multicompartment models, can include DXA measurement of bone, plus independent measures of body water (using the dilution principle with isotopically labeled water) and body volume (either by water displacement or air plethysmography). Various other components may be independently measured, such as total body potassium.
In-vivo neutron activation can quantify all the elements of the body and use mathematical relations among the measured elements in the different components of the body (fat, water, protein, etc.) to develop simultaneous equations to estimate total body composition, including body fat.
Pre DXA Body average density measurement
Prior to the adoption of DXA, the most accurate method of estimating body fat percentage was to measure that person’s average density (total mass divided by total volume) and apply a formula to convert that to body fat percentage.
Since fat tissue has a lower density than muscles and bones, it is possible to estimate the fat content.
This estimate is distorted by the fact that muscles and bones have different densities: for a person with a more-than-average amount of bone mass, the estimate will be too low. However, this method gives highly reproducible results for individual persons (± 1%), unlike the methods discussed below, which can have an uncertainty up to ±10%. The body fat percentage is commonly calculated from one of two formulas:
- Brozek formula: BF = (4.57/ρ − 4.142) × 100
- Siri formula is: BF = (4.95/ρ − 4.50) × 100
