⛔️ Don’t book in for a body composition scan until you listen to this! 

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (or BIA) scans are popping up in just about every gym and I’ve even seen some health professional clinics offering them as a service. 

They’re advertised as a quick and affordable way to accurately measure your body composition i.e. how much muscle, fat and bone tissue you’re made up of.

But if an athlete of mine brings me a scan to interpret, I tell them to throw it in the bin! 🙈

Listen in as I explain what the BIA scan is, how it works and the challenges with relying on this method to accurately assess your body composition.

For further reading in this space, check out some of my referenced articles below:

1.     Esco, M. R., Olson, M. S., Williford, H. N., Lizana, S. N., & Russell, A. R. (2011). The accuracy of hand-to-hand bioelectrical impedance analysis in predicting body composition in college-age female athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(4), 1040-1045.

2.     Comparisons of a Multi-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis to the Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Scan in Healthy Young Adults Depending on their Physical Activity Level

3.     Loenneke, J., Wilson, J., Wray, M., Barnes, J., Kearney, M., & Pujol, T. (2012). The Estimation of the Fat Free Mass Index in Athletes. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.5812/asjsm.34691

4.     Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Chen, H., Li, Y., Cheng, X., Xu, L., … Li, B. (2013). Comparison of Two Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Devices With Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Estimation of Body Composition. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(1), 236–243. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824f2040

5.     Position of the American Dietetic Association and the Canadian Dietetic Association: nutrition for physical fitness and athletic performance for adults

6.     Van Marken Lichtenbelt, W.D., Hartgens, F.J., Vollaard, N.B., Ebbing, S. & Kuipers, H. (2004). Body Composition Changes in Bodybuilders: A Method Comparison. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(3), 490-497. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000117159.70295.73.

 

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