Body
Composition
What is it and Why it matters?
What is body composition?
● Your body composition determines what percentage of your total body weight comes from fat, muscle, and
bone. Knowing your body composition provides more detailed information about your health. Two people
can weigh the same, but have very different wellness and fitness needs because of their body composition.
Why is it important?
• Body composition is important because it measures your overall health and fitness level in terms of your
body fat percentage. Your bathroom scale can’t tell the difference between how much of your weight
comes from fat and how much from muscle. But body composition measurements can.
• Less fat and more muscle tends to point toward a better level of health.
What is Body Fat?
• Body fat includes all the stored fat in your body.
There are two types of body fat:
• Subcutaneous fat: This is the layer of fat under your skin. It insulates and protects your body.
• Visceral fat: This is the fat that surrounds and cushions your abdominal organs.
In addition to insulating and protecting your body, fat provides energy, carries fat-soluble vitamins, makes
certain hormones, and serves as a building-block for cell membranes.
You need a certain amount of body fat to perform these functions—-----this is known as essential fat.
Body Fat Percentage
- Body fat percentage is the percent of fat that makes up your total body weight. Many factors influence
your body fat percentage, including sex, age, fitness level, and lifestyle.
The body fat percentage ranges come from the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
ACE Body Fat Percent Norms for Men and Women
DESCRIPTION WOMEN MEN
Essential Fat 10% to 13% 2% to 5%
Athletes 14% to 20% 6% to 13%
Fitness 21% to 24% 14% to 17%
Acceptable 25% to 31% 18% to 24%
Obese Over 32% Over 25%
Athletes tend to have a lower body fat percentage than people who are physically fit
because having less fat improves their athletic performance. However, when body fat
percentages dip too low, athletic performance suffers and immune function declines.
On the flip side, a body fat percentage that’s too high is a risk factor for chronic illnesses
like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
02
Body Composition
vs.
Body Mass Index
o Body Composition and body mass index (BMI) are tools that assess body
fatness. However, the methods used to measure body composition and BMI
differ. Additionally, BMI may not provide accurate results in all situations.
o Health professionals use the BMI to assess an individual’s risk for disease
based on their body fatness, or where they fall on the BMI table. But recent
evidence suggests that the and may not serve as the best-or only- metric for
measuring body composition and health.
Body Mass Index
BMI is a tool that has been used by health professionals to assess body fatness and health. It’s a mathematical equation that
compares your weight to your height.
• BMI = (weight in kilograms)/(height meter squared)
For example:
50 kg/160 cm (convert cm to meter; 100cm=1 m) 160cm/100cm=1.60 m
50 kg/ 1.60m x 1.60m= 2.56m
50kg/2.56m =19.53 BMI
<script type="text/javascript" async id="bmi-calculator" data-type="verywell-tool" data-vertical="verywellfit"
src="https://www.verywellfit.com/static/4.310.0/components/tools/calculators/iframe-embed/embed.min.js?id=bmi-calculator"></script>
This BMI table is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Less than 18.5 = underweight
• 18.5 to 24.9 = healthy weight
• 25.0 to 29.9 = overweight
• 30 or higher = obesity
You don’t need any special equipment to measure BMI, making it a quick tool to assess body fat and health.
However, the BMI isn’t perfect and may not accurately assess body fatness in all people. For example, a bodybuilder may have a BMI that puts them in the
overweight category, but have a low body fat percentage.
How to measure Body Composition?
There are a number of ways to measure body composition. However, you need more than a bathroom scale and calculator to figure out what
percentage of your weight comes from fat and what percentage comes from muscle.
• Bioelectrical Impedance
- Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) is a tool that estimates your body composition by measuring your body’s resistance to a low-level electric
current, or impedance. Muscles have a lower resistance to an electric current than fat.
PROS CONS
- Painless, quick, and - Not a good predictor
easy of body fat percentage
- You can purchase in all people
scales with BIA - Hydration affects
technology to use at results
home
Skinfold Measurements cons
pros
- Skinfold measurements involve the use of special calipers
that measure the skinfold—subcutaneous fat—on different - You can wear - Difficult to get
accurate results when
parts of your body. Fitness trainers use skinfold measurements shorts and a t-shirt performed by someone
to assess body fat because it’s quick and convenient. when getting without proper training
measured - Not a good tool for
- The test is quick measuring body
composition in people
and painless with weight challenges
DEXA Scan Pros Cons
- The DEXA scan, or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, - Fast and painless - Requires trained
uses a low-level X-ray to measure bone, muscle, and body fat. test medical
- Provides regional professionals for
body composition testing
- Measures bone - Not suitable for all
mineral density body types
Hydrostatic Weighing
Pros Cons
- involves full submersion in a water tank, using water - Gives the most - Not widely available
displacement to measure body composition. Since fat floats accurate results - Requires special
and muscle sinks, a person with more lean body mass equipment and
professional testers
weighs more underwater.
Bod Pod
Pros Cons
- Bod pod is similar to hydrostatic weighing, but uses air
- Test is quick and - Overestimates body
displacement instead of water displacement to measure provides a print out of fatness in lean
body composition. For this test, you sit in an egg-shaped your measurements, individuals
including calorie - Clothing and facial
chamber, which uses your body weight and volume to needs hair may affect results
determine your body composition. - Results are accurate
Factors to Consider
Body composition provides valuable information about body fat percentage. However, your body shape is
unique to you and there are uncontrollable factors that affect your body composition including
• Age: You lose muscle as you get older, which affects your body composition. However, age-
related muscle loss is most often due to a decrease in physical activity.
• Genes: Your genes determine your body type and composition and your inherited body type
may have more body fat that’s hard to lose.
• Hormones: Hormones also influence body composition. Testosterone is a male sex hormone
that increases muscle mass.
• Sex: Due to a combination of genetics and hormones, women have more body fat than men .
Changing your Body Composition
- To change your body composition, you need the right balance of physical activity and nutrition to
reach your goals. Slow and steady changes work best when you want to increase muscle and
lose fat. It's important to remember that some factors will remain out of your control.
- Before making any changes to your diet or workout routine, consult with your primary care
provider or a registered dietitian for guidance.
A Word
Your body composition may help you better understand your current level of health and fitness. It can also serve as a
measuring tool to monitor progress when starting a new fitness or wellness program.
When trying to change your physique to improve your fitness level, it’s important to implement a safe and effective
workout routine and a balanced eating plan. Seek advice from a health care professional before making any major
changes to your diet or exercise routine.
