October 8

Using Dexa To Measure Body Composition

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What we do

What is body composition?

In physical fitness, body composition is used to describe the percentages of fat, bone, water, and muscle in human bodies. Because muscular tissue takes up less space in the body than fat tissue, body composition, as well as weight, determines leanness.

Any changes to your diet, whether for muscle gain or fat loss, must fit into your lifestyle & body type.

  • For example if the client desires fat loss, how weight do they want to lose? How fast do they want to lose fat? As a general rule, for fat loss we will be working with a caloric deficit. For muscle gain we will be working with a caloric surplus.We begin calculating the daily requirement in calories by determining the client’s total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) or maintenance calories.  
  • We get a baseline DEXA scan to calculate lean body mass and fat mass. Then using the Muller equation, we calculate the basal metabolic rate (BMR). We use, activity level, and weight to adjust their true TDEE as a starting point. Because metabolism’s vary between individuals, we must fine-tune the diet by tracking the changes.After we know the daily calories we factor in the macro nutrients (macro’s for short).
  • We generally recommend protein at 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight per day. We then fill in the remaining calories with carbohydrates and fats. Another general rule, for clients playing sports we recommend more carbs than fats. For folks that prefer the keto diet, we recommend more fats than carbs.

Why else should I care about a DEXA scan?

Visceral area fat (VAT area). This is a region of fat around the waist area, but inside the abdomen and surrounding your organs, it is the most harmful to your health. A high value greater than 100 would increase the risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and hypertension, and above 160 puts one in the high risk category.


This number can lower with weight loss (FAT) and less carbohydrates in the diet. A DEXA scan is the most accurate way to determine body composition.

The key is what works for you!!

There are many ways to design a diet. The key is that there's enough flexibility for the client to feel comfortable. In addition, a good coach will hold a client accountable for the results in a firm but friendly manner.

To maintain good health, we all need a strategy. The following three elements are important for muscle health and need to become a habitual part of our daily routine:

1. Diet and appropriate protein intake.

2. Resistance exercise

3. Dietary supplements to enhance muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis.



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