BODY COMPOSITION, WHY BODY COMPOSITION IS IMPORTANT, HOW BODY COMPOSITION MEASURED & HOW TO

IMPROVE BODY COMPOSITION

BODY COMPOSITION
With respect to health and fitness, body composition is used to describe the percentages of fat, bone and
muscle in human bodies. The body fat percentage is of most interest because it can be very helpful in
assessing health. Because muscular tissue is denser that fat tissue, assessing ones body fat is necessary to
determine the overall composition of the body, particularly when making health recommendations. Two
people at the same height and same body weight may have different health issues because they have a
different body composition.

WHY BODY COMPOSITION IS IMPORTANT?

Firstly, it is crucial for those looking to develop their fitness.
Being able to track measurements as you lose fat or develop muscle plays a crucial role in planning your
fitness regime and reaching peak performance.
The more you understand about your body composition, the easier it is to create a plan to loose excess fat
and build up muscle.
Understanding your body composition also helps to ensure that you don’t lose too much fat, which can
equally cause a range of problems for the body.
Understanding your body composition is also important when it comes to health.
After all, it is recognised that too much body fat can be a serious health risk, leading to problems such as
high blood pressure, heart disease, type two diabetes and a range of other conditions.
Body composition plays an important role in understanding your health and wellness, measuring the
differences between leanness and too much fat. This allows you to accurately assess your health and plan
your lifestyle and diet accordingly.

HOW BODY COMPOSITION IS MEASURED?

To find out what your body fat percentage is, a health professional might use skin calipers to measure your
stored fat. However, there are other more accurate ways of measuring your body composition.‌
Skin calipers.  A health professional will use skin calipers to measure your skinfold thickness. They’ll measure
areas where stored fat is commonly found. When done with a good technique, skin calipers can be very
accurate. But human error can cause many fluctuations.
Underwater weighing. When underwater, your lean tissue sinks, and fat floats. Your underwater weight helps
estimate how much fat mass you have. This is a very accurate method of finding body composition. But it
requires special equipment. 
A body pod. This kind of machine measures how much air your body displaces. It’s a more convenient option
compared to underwater weighing. It also takes less time. ‌
Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. A DEXA scan uses low-level x-rays to find how much body fat,
muscle, and bone are in your body. It's quick and also includes bone in the assessment.
Bioelectrical impedance. This analysis sends electrical currents through your body. It then measures the speed
at which it travels. It’s the cheapest method of measuring your body fat, after skin calipers. However, the
accuracy depends on a lot of factors. It’s best for monitoring changes in your body fat. 
HOW TO IMPROVE BODY COMPOSITION?

Your body composition is made up of fat mass and fat-free mass.

You can improve it by decreasing body fat, increasing muscle or both.

Any of these changes will lead to a decrease in your body fat percentage, which is viewed as a single
number that describes your body composition.

Most people know that diet and exercise can affect body weight and body composition.
However, their impact on body composition isn’t always simple.

Nonetheless, a good place to start is with some basic principles of nutrition and physical activity.

Nutrition

First, consider the number of calories you are eating.

Although they aren’t the only thing that matters, calories are one of the most important factors to consider.

In simple terms, if you consistently eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight — typically
as fat. Likewise, if you consistently eat fewer calories than your body uses, you will lose weight.

It can also be helpful to think about the types of food you tend to overeat.

Often, they are processed foods, such as ice cream, pizza and chips, that are highly rewarding to the brain.

These foods contain many calories and don’t usually keep you satisfied. This is partly due to their low
protein and fiber content.

After considering how many calories you eat, think about whether you are eating enough protein and fiber.

Protein is important for everyone, but you may need more if you are active or trying to gain muscle or lose
fat.

It is more satisfying than carbs or fat, and your body also burns more calories processing protein than these
other nutrients.

Fiber also has several health benefits and can increase the feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating.

It can be obtained from a variety of plant-based foods, including beans, whole grains, nuts and vegetables.

For adults up to age 50, it is recommended that men consume 38 grams of fiber per day, while women are
advised to eat 25 grams per day.

Incredibly, less than 5% of most age groups in the United States consume enough fiber.

Keeping your calories, protein and fiber in check is a good place to start if you want to improve your body
composition and health.

Physical Activity and Exercise

Physical activity and exercise are other crucial components for improving body composition.

They not only increase the calories you use, but they are also necessary for optimal muscle growth.

Since body composition can be improved by decreasing fat mass or increasing muscle mass, this is an
important point.
Your muscles need to be challenged by exercise, particularly weight training, to grow and get stronger.

However, many types of exercise can potentially help with fat loss (19Trusted Source).

The American College of Sports Medicine states that 150–250 minutes of exercise per week may lead to a
small amount of weight loss.

If you exercise 5 days per week, this comes out to 30–50 minutes per day, though they recommend 250
minutes per week or more to promote significant weight loss.

While these recommendations focus on body weight, it is important to remember that some forms of
exercise will build muscle while you are losing fat.

This is another example of why thinking about your body composition, rather than just body weight, is a
good idea.

Other Factors

Additional factors beyond nutrition and exercise may affect body composition.

There is some evidence that people who have poorer sleep quality have worse body composition than those
with good sleep quality.

However, it isn’t clear if good sleep improves your body composition or if having a better body
composition improves your sleep.

Regardless, it is a good idea to consider whether your sleep habits can be improved.

Alcohol consumption is another factor that may affect body composition. Since alcohol contains calories, it
can contribute to excess calorie intake and fat gain.

Some research has also shown that individuals who consume a lot of alcohol are more likely to be obese.

Additionally, some factors that affect body composition cannot be changed. For example, both age and
genetics impact body composition.

However, since you cannot control these factors, it is probably best to focus on what you can control, like
nutrition, exercise and sleep.