For an adult body water is expected to be 69 74 of lean body weight. There are many different methods of measuring body fat percentage as well as a number of variables that can potentially affect the outcome of a body composition test.
The Skinny Guy S Guide To Body Fat Percentage Bony To Beastly
How does hydration affect body fat measurement. An overestimation of body fat. Wrestlers were defined as dehydrated once confirmed to have lost 2 3 of their body weight andor produced a usg sample greater than 1020 gml. As a rule of thumb greater body resistance means a higher fat percentage. This is due to the fact that fat contains less water than muscle so its denser than muscle and more difficult for a. That means that your changing level of hydration can have a significant effect on the body fat reading that you get. If you began your program by measuring your body fat in the morning then during your reassessments continue to measure your body fat in the morning.
In a study by published in annals of family medicine the researchers found out that people who are obese and have a higher body mass index or bmi although bmi has its own limitations are more likely to be inadequately hydrated and vice versa. For an adolescent it is expected to be slightly higher. Dehydration is a recognized factor affecting bia measurements as it causes an increase in the bodys electrical resistance so has been measured to cause a 5 kg underestimation of fat free mass ie. Your body fat is pretty water dense so dense in fact that body fat is comprised of about 10 water. Hydration affects the reading of these scales because the electrical signal will pass slower or faster through a fat free tissue depending on the concentration of electrolytes in that tissue concentration of electrolytes goes up in dehydrated tissue. A reading below 69 may indicate dehydration and result in a fat weight reading that is 3 5 too high.
Prior to the first bod pod hydration was measured via urine specific gravity usg with hydrated equating to a result less than or equal to 1020 gml. This is especially significant after completing a vigorous workout routine. The most important factor when calculating body fat percentage is consistency. Now that youre aware of the importance of being well hydrated to gain lean body mass youre probably curious if your hydration status can also impact fat loss efforts. One common factor that can influence the outcome of a body composition test is the persons hydration status 2. Hydration status can be useful when reviewing the results of a body composition test.
If you are dehydrated the current will pass through at a slower rate and show an inflated body fat percentage.
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