InBody® Composition Analyzer

InBody® 101

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a method of measuring impedance by applying alternating electrical currents to a user to measuring their volume of water through impedance values.

This non-invasive method involves the placement of electrodes on a person’s feet, hands, or both. A low-level electrical current is sent through the body, and the flow of the current is affected by the amount of water in the body.

BIA devices measure how this signal is impeded through different types of tissue (muscle has high conductivity but fat slow the signal down). As BIA determines the resistance to flow of the current as it passes through the body, it provides estimates of body water from which body fat is calculated using selected equations.

Why Is Body Composition Important To Measure?

Most diet and fitness goals focus on weight loss or gain, overlooking that two people of the same sex and body weight may look completely different from each other because they have different body compositions. Measuring your body composition will tell you your own body’s unique makeup and help you identify areas to work on to improve your overall health and wellness.

Getting a better insight into your overall wellness starts with measuring your body composition and going beyond the number on the scale. You will know whether you need to gain more lean mass or lower body fat percentage to achieve a healthy body composition and a better level of health.

Why Do You Need To Understand Your Weight in Terms of Muscle and Fat Mass?

You may be aware of the healthy weight ranges, but how do you get there? If you only focus on losing weight, you may end up losing muscle mass and eventually sabotage your efforts.

By differentiating between muscle and body fat, body composition removes the guesswork of determining what your weight fluctuations mean, be it muscle gain, body fat loss, or anything in between.

Whatever your goals may be, an important thing to keep in mind during your health journey is there’s more to being healthy than looking thin.

What Are the Benefits of Body Composition?

A healthy body composition contributes to a stronger immune system and reduces your health risk for common chronic diseases and conditions like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Here’s how you can use body composition to improve your wellbeing:

• Find your baseline so you can know what you need to lose, gain, or maintain
• Assess your Percent Body Fat so you can focus on fat loss, not just weight loss
• Maximize your workout routine to fit your unique health and fitness goals
• Calculate your caloric needs and create a personalized nutrition plan
• Set realistic goals, accurately monitor progress, and stay motivated
• Make more informed decisions to improve your body composition

Percent Body Fat (PBF)

Percent Body Fat or Body Fat Percentage is a more accurate indicator of your health than your body weight or BMI because it tells you exactly how much fat mass makes up your total body weight.

For a healthy body fat level, aim for a PBF within 10 – 20% (for males) or 18 – 28% (for females).

Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM)

Skeletal Muscle Mass is crucial for mobility, posture, and strong immunity for long-term health. Body composition analysis shows you precisely how much Skeletal Muscle Mass you have in each body segment, so you can focus on building more muscle or correct imbalances to ensure you have a healthy muscle mass balance.

Body Water (TBW)

Your Total Body Water (TBW) is divided into two groups: extracellular water (ECW), which is the water outside your cells, and intracellular water (ICW), which is the water within your cells. A healthy balance of body water is critical for good health. With body composition analysis, you can identify any changes and address them to maintain a healthy balance.