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BACKGROUND
The body density is the amount of the fat and fat-free mass in the body. The fat is present under the skin, around the internal
organs, in central nervous system and bone marrow. The body fat percentage is derived by the total mass of fat divided by
total body mass times 100. Women have higher fat percentage compared to men.1
The proportional amount of fat in the body based on the person’s total weight which includes both essential and storage fat.
The body density is measured by hydrostatic weighing and the fat percentage is measured by skin fold thickness.
The aim of the experiment is determination of body density and fat percentage.

REQUIREMENTS
Subjects: Human
Apparatus: Hydrostatic stainless steel weighing tank
Underwater mounted chair and scale
Weighted belt and nose clip
Pressure calipers

PROCEDURE
Hydrostatic weighing
The subject’s dry weight is measured first. The subject is asked to sit in a specialized seat with minimal clothing and the
expelled air from the lungs is lowered into a tank until all the body parts are emerged. The subject is asked to remain
motionless when the underwater weight is being measured. This process is repeated several times until the correct weight is
measured.2
Skinfold thickness
The measurement of skin fold thickness provides the body fat percentage. The several sites are measured giving a good
indication of percentage of body fat. The skin fold testing is done with pressure calipers. The sum of the three sites which
provides the estimated body fat percentage. All the measurements are taken on the right side of the body.3
The common sites of the body used for skin fold thickness test are these seven locations namely quadriceps, midaxilla,
pectorals, subcapsular, abdomen, suprailiac and quadriceps.1

CONCLUSION
The underwater weighing is the most widely used test for body density. The skin fold thickness is the fairly accurate, is easy to
perform and inexpensive method of determining body fat percentage.

REFERENCES
1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/body-composition. Accessed on 13April 2018.
2. https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/underwater.htm. Accessed on 13 April 2018.
3. https://www.cengag-e.com/resource_uploads/downloads/053460496X-44387.ppt. Accessed on 13 April 2018.

Tags: abdomen body density Hydrostatic pectorals subcapsular suprailiac

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