Measuring body fat percentage is a better indicator of how well your diet and exercise program is working. How accurate are body fat scales.
Body Fat Trackers That Can Give You Body Composition Data
Body fat measurement electrical impedance accuracy. Bia involves running a light electrical current through your body. They run a light electrical current through your body measure the degree of resistance or impedance to the flow of the current then use this information to estimate your body fat percentage. Most research shows that body fat scales arent accurate enough to track changes in body composition over time. Bioelectrical impedance bia bia is one of the quickest and easiest methods for predicting body fat. When it comes to health risks related to being overweight fat is the culprit. Bia sends a weak electrical impulse through the.
Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a commonly used method for estimating body composition in particular body fat and muscle mass. Since the advent of the first commercially available devices. Body fat scales use bioelectrical impedance analysis bia to estimate the relative percentages of different tissues and substances within the body. In bia a weak electric current flows through the body and the voltage is measured in order to calculate impedance of the body. Body fat percentage scales use a method known as bioelectrical impedance bia to estimate your body composition. Body fat tied to heart risks in normal weight adults from a scientific point of view most devices used for bia will measure the difference in impedance the amount of opposition an.
Accuracy can also vary depending on various factors including. However the convienience of this method comes at a price of accuracy. While the department of kinesiology and health at georgia state university notes that the accuracy of bia can be 3 from the real body fat i find this statement to be overly complimentary of this method. Therefore if a person is more muscular there is a high chance that the person will also have more body water which leads to lower impedance. It measures body fat accurately in controlled clinical conditions but its performance in the field is inconsistent. Although a scale is a useful tool in measuring weight loss it is limited to evaluating only one component.
Body fat scales can be an easy way to track your body fat percentage but they may not tell the complete story about your health. Most body water is stored in muscle. I have witnessed gross overestimations of body fat in people who have used bia in health clubs. Bioelectrical impedance analysis bia is a relatively simple quick and non invasive technique to measure body composition.