30 Seconds SummaryHow to effectively track changes in body composition
- Common body composition measurement devices like BodPod and DXA have major accuracy issues, often leading to substantial errors in body-fat estimates.
- Despite poor validity, there's a common misconception that these devices reliably track changes over time, assuming constant error rate that reflects true changes in body-fat percentage.
- A pilot study showed significant discrepancies between various body composition devices and poor tracking of longitudinal body composition changes, even under controlled testing conditions.
- Empirical data from studies reveal that devices tend to have limits of agreement above ±2 body-fat percentage points, indicating a high potential for error in measurement results.
- Further research corroborated that commercially accessible measurement methods perform inconsistently across different populations and conditions of body weight changes.
- The practical use of such devices is questionable for individual assessments as many sport and health outcomes rely on different factors like visual assessments and specific skills rather than just body composition.
- Alternative methods for tracking physique-related changes more effectively include monitoring weight, changes in clothing fit, visual appearance, and measuring circumferences or skinfold thicknesses.
Stronger By Science
Eric Trexler
