When it comes to analyzing total body composition the most accurate type of scan you can get is the dexa scan. Dexa or dual energy x ray absorptiometry will provide you with accurate results of your body fat percentage lean body mass skeletal muscle mass and is often used by professionals to predict osteopenia and osteoporosisby measuring bone mineral density. Because its based on the archimedes principle of fluid displacement this method is often called underwater weighing. The bod pod provides a measure of your muscle to fat ratio an indicator of overall health and is a great tool for tracking fitness improvements. The percentage that it estimates should be within 1 percent of. The bodyscript body composition analyzer featuring near infrared technology that provides gold standard body measurements for muscle fat bone and water.
Besides bcm the total body potassium tbk method can provide estimates of body fat using estimates of weight bcm and tbw 56. Hudson medical teamwellnessjune 25 2019. It can be frustrating to step on the scale and see no change. Used extensively by the nfl the military health care and other organizations bod pod is the most popular service offered by the smart lab. Test any time of day. Hydrostatic weighing this method is considered the gold standard 15 error of body fat measurement that requires being submerged in a specialized tank of water.
The american college of sports medicine acsm has called it the gold standard because of its high accuracy. Dxa is mainly used for bone mineral density measurements where it is considered as the gold standard 38 but it can also be used to estimate total and regional body fat and lt mass. No meal or beverage restrictions. The method can also be used as a non invasive method of estimating body protein and skeletal muscle mass 5758. Dual energy x ray absorptiometry dexa is currently being touted as the gold standard for measuring body fat. Underwater weighing for body fat percentage is highly accurate and considered the gold standard for measuring body fat percentage.
Gyms measure body fat in myriad ways and this article will cover five of them. Bod pod the gold standard in measuring body composition. No need to remove shoes or clothes. This test is based on a three dimensional model that measures fat tissue mass subcutaneous fat and internal visceral fat lean muscle mass and total body mineral content total skeletal mass and bone density. While its natural to want objective feedback on your progress body weight shouldnt be your main focus. The wbkc is the gold standard to accurately measure the bcm.
By using two different energy levels the images can be separated into two components eg bone and soft tissue. Because bone and muscle are more dense than water a person with a larger percentage of fat free mass will weigh more in the water and have a lower percent body fat.