Body Composition Calipers & BIA

What Is Body Composition ? Body composition is the term used to describe the different components that, when taken together, make up a person's body weight. The human body is composed of a variety of different tissue types including lean tissues (muscle, bone, and organs) that are metabolically active, and fat (adipose) tissue that is not.

What You Already Know

Hydrostatic Weighing Long considered the "gold standard" of body fat analysis due to its accuracy (repeated studies show a variation of just 1.5%, according to Georgia State University), hydrostatic weighing is based on Archimedes's Principle, which, according to NASA, states that the buoyant force on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. This means that the greater the fat percentage, the more buoyant a person will be, due to the density difference in muscle and fat.

Skin Calipers Skin calipers are the most commonly used form of body fat measurement, because they are easy and quick to use, are inexpensive, and are relatively accurate (plus or minus 3%, according to Georgia State). The calipers assume that the subcutaneous fat (fat directly below the skin) is consistent throughout the body, which is the biggest reason for the variance.

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Skin calipers are the most commonly used form of body fat measurement, because they are easy and quick to use, are inexpensive, and are relatively accurate (plus or minus 3%, according to Georgia State). The calipers assume that the subcutaneous fat (fat directly below the skin) is consistent throughout the body, which is the biggest reason for the variance.

Grab a partner and understand everything done today is for you. None of the paperwork will be graded. You keep your results. Your privacy is very important. But you will get a partcipation grade.