Body fat calculating

shambler101
shambler101 Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi not sure if this is the right thread to post this.

there are 2 methods of calculating body fat that i have seen, the caliper method and then there is a machine you hold that sends a current through your body to calculate your BF%.

can anyone shed some light on the accuracy of the second method and indicate what would be the proven best method?

Replies

  • AdventureFreak
    AdventureFreak Posts: 236 Member
    The best is water displacement but you can get reasonably accurate electronic scales for affordable prices. I have a withings unit that cost about $100. It uploads to the internet and does a bunch of other fun stuff too.
  • shambler101
    shambler101 Posts: 15
    The best is water displacement but you can get reasonably accurate electronic scales for affordable prices. I have a withings unit that cost about $100. It uploads to the internet and does a bunch of other fun stuff too.

    could you elaborate on the water displacement a little.

    thanks
  • pandabratt1
    pandabratt1 Posts: 36 Member
    It's hard to find places that do the water displacement test because it is so technical. I have listed an explanation below. The next best is calipers, then the other machines, and scales. The most important thing to consider, is if you are using any method, and it tells you your body fat is _____%, just use that as a base line, and remember that from that point, use the same method. If it goes down then your body fat is lower than where you started and you're heading in the right direction. It can vary from day to day, and from activity to activity, so try to be consistent with the times, and circumstances, but just remember not to get too wrapped up in the exact number. Just use "it" as a guidance tool.

    A hydrostatic body fat test, known as hydrodensitometry, is calculating percentage of body fat through water displacement.
    More Info: A hydrostatic body fat test utilizes Archimedes principle, which states that the buoyant force on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid that is displaced by the object.

    Archimedes Principle

    In Syracuse, Sicily c 250 BC, Archimedes, a Greek mathematician, inventor, and philosopher invented the compound pulley, the hydraulic screw, and is credited with defining the principle of the lever. Archimedes became most famous for discovering the law of hydrostatics referred to as the Archimedes principle.

    Applying Archimedes Principle to Body Fat Measurement

    Fat is less dense than water and therefore floats. The greater the fat percentage of an individual, the less he will weigh when submerged in water. Muscle and bone are denser than water and will therefore weigh more.

    How Is a Hydrostatic Body Fat Test Performed

    The subject is first weighed in the normal manner. His lung capacity will be measured using a spirometer. He will then sit on a special chair that has a scale attached. The chair is slowly immersed in water. The subject must exhale all the air from his lungs, as this will cause buoyancy and a false reading. Finally, when the entire subject is immersed and underwater weight reading will be taken.


    Read more: http://www.sophisticatededge.com/what-is-a-hydrostatic-body-fat-test.html#ixzz33Gkh35DG
  • shambler101
    shambler101 Posts: 15
    thanks.

    i would consider using the calipers but see some difficulty in perfoming this on myself.

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