Body Composition

“It’s not about weight, it’s about fitness, and one component of being fit is to have relatively low
body fat, because fat is not very efficient, whereas muscle is ”.---Deborah Bull
Introduction
Achieving recommended body weight improves health parameters, but most importantly, it
improves the quality of life by allowing you to pursue tasks of daily living, along with leisure
and recreational activities, without functional limitations.
Body Composition- with relation to health and fitness, body composition is used to describe the
percentages of fat, bone, water and muscle in human bodies.
Why body composition is important?
1. It is crucial for those looking to develop their fitness.
2. Helps to ensure that you don’t lose too much fat, which can equally cause a range of problems
for the body.
3. The more you understand your body composition, the easier is to create a plan to loose excess
fat and build up muscle.
4. Understanding your body composition is also important when it comes to health.
5. It plays an important role in understanding your health and wellness, measuring the
differences between leanness and too much fat.
Essential Fat and Storage Fat
Essential Fat
 is needed for normal physiological function. Without it, human health and physical
performance deteriorate.
 This type of fat is found within tissues such as lungs, muscles, nerve cells, bone marrow,
intestines , heart, and liver.
 3 percent of the total weight in men and 12 percent in women.

Storage Fat

 it is the fat stored in adipose tissue, mostly beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) and around
major organs in the body (intra- abdominal or visceral fat).

3 Basic Functions of Storage Fat

1. As an insulator to retain body heat.

2. As energy substrate for metabolism.
3. As padding against physical trauma of the body.

William Sheldon’s Theory- was devised in the 1940s where he posed certain characteristics
such as fatness, muscularity and being skinny.

Somatotype

 is a discredited theory of personality that associates different body compositions with

various personality traits and behavioral characteristics.
 refers to the bodybuilding or physique of a person.

3 Body Types/ Somatotypes

1. Ectomorph- generally thin and lean, ectomorphs tend to have slender waists, narrow hips and
shoulders, small joints, and long legs and arms.
2. Mesomorph- naturally muscular, mesomorphs typically have moderate-size frames, with
wider shoulders and a narrow waist, strong arms and legs, and modest amounts of body fat.
3. Endomorph- because they have a medium-to-large bone structure and more body fat than the
other types, women who are endomorphs are often described as curvaceous or full-figured, while
endomorphic men might be considered stocky, doughy, or round.

Measurement of Body Composition

There are many ways to measure body composition; the 9 factors plays a major role

 Weight - Body weight scale/ bioelectrical impedance analysis/ bathroom scale

 Body Fat- skinfold test/ calipers
 BMI- BMI formula (Metric and Imperial)
 Body Water- Watson’s Formula for men and women
 Lean Mass- Lean Body Mass formula
 Visceral Fat Rating- waistline measurement using tape measure
 Muscle Mass- MRI, Scale (Body Fat Scale), Circumference Value (CV)
 Bone Mass- X- ray
 Daily Calorie Intake- DCI Formula

A. Weight

Weight is an overall measure of body mass. The measurement includes all the elements of the
body e.g. bones, blood, organs, muscles, and fat

Factors contribute to weight:

 Hereditary components
 Hormonal abnormalities
 Exercise
 Diet
 Lifestyle

B. Body Fat

The body fat is an important component of the overall health. More technically known as
adipose tissue, body fat is a spongy tissue that is stored in the bones, organs, central nervous
system, and muscles.The excess fat in the body to be known as non- essential fat and is where
excess energy is stored.

C. BMI (Body Mass Index)

The body mass index is a measurement of weight and height. It is important to consider overall
health, as it can indicate height and body fat.

2 ways to calculate BMI

1. Metric BMI Formula

2. Imperial BMI Formula
D. Body Water

Body water is an important physiological measure that can significantly impact overall health.
This factor is to measure the water content in the various tissues, blood, bone, and other
components of the body.

E. Lean Body Mass

The lean body mass is a calculation of the amount of weight the body carries that isn’t fat.

F. Viceral Fat Rating

Visceral fat is an extremely important calculation that presents information regarding overall
health and the potential to develop a number of alarming health conditions. It can be describe as
the body fat that surrounds the waist.

WOMEN- waist circumference of 35 inches or larger is generally a sign of excess visceral fat.

MEN- waist circumference of 40 inches or larger is alarming

G. Muscle Mass

Muscle mass is a key measurement of the muscles in your body in pounds or kilograms. It plays
an important role in the overall fitness, as muscles burn energy and fats all the time.

Methods of Measuring Body Mass:

 MRI- accurate reading of muscle mass by examining the age, body weight, height, and
gender
 Scale (Body Fat Scale)- assesses the body mass by using body fat scale using
bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) / bathroom scale.
 Circumference Value (CV)- the formula are placed on a chart and can be used to
calculate muscle mass percentage

H. Bone Mass

Bone mass is a measurement of the overall mineral density of the body. This measure provides
an important snapshot of your overall bone health.

I. Daily Calorie Intake (DCI)

Your calorie intake is a combination of all the food you take in each day. Calories are used to
measure the energy content of the food and beverages.

REPORTED BY:

ALMINDRA C. AQUINO

BEED IV-F Group 1