EP- Body composition Flashcards
(41 cards)
Define body composition
the distribution of lean body mass and body fat mass
Define fat mass
the percentage of body weight that is stored fat
Define lean body mass
the weight of the rest of the body – muscle, bone, connective tissue, and organs.
What are the average body fat % for men (non-athletes)
12-18%
What are the average body fat % for men (athletes)
6-12%
What are the average body fat % for women (non-athletes)
22-28%
What are the average body fat % for women (athletes)
12-20%
Why are athletes typically heavier than average people
Because muscle weighs more than fat
Give the 5 body composition assessments
- BMI
- Hydrostatic weighing
- BIS
- Bodpod
- Skinfold callipers
What does BMI measure
measures an adult’s weight in relation to their height.
Their weight is divided by their height in metres squared
What is an acceptable BMI range for men and women
- 1 - 25 (men)
18. 5 - 24.8 (women)
What BMI number indicates someone may be obese
30+
Give 2 disadvantages of BMI
- BMI does not directly measure body fat.
- Not suitable for young children, pregnant women, the elderly, or athletes.
- Athletes higher proportion of muscle pushes them outside the normal range, despite their body fat being well within normal the range.
Why do we continue to use BMI
It has become the medical standard used worldwide and does have some value if you’re a standard adult.
Give the method for hydrostatic weighing
- Athlete is weighed on land
- Athlete is weighed totally immersed in water.
- The difference between the athletes ‘dry’ weight and the underwater weight indicates the athlete’s fat percentage.
- Fat floats – so the greater the body fat, the bigger the difference between the two weights.
Give an advantage for hydrostatic weighing
Most accepted and accurate measure of body composition.
Give 2 disadvantages for hydrostatic weighing
- Only an estimate of the density of fat-free mass- this varies from gender, age and race (not totally accurate).
- Not readily available to most people.
- Expensive
What does BIS stand for
Bioelectrical Impedance Spectroscopy
How does BIS work
- BIS scales send a safe, low electrical current through the body
- The current flows easily through the fluids contained within muscle tissue but fat impedes the flow of the current
- Having programmed in the athletes’ height and weight, the scales work out the body fat percentage.
Give an advantage of BIS
Accurate
Safe
Can be easily tracked over time
Give a disadvantage of BIS
- Affected by the hydration level of the performer (as it relies on the fluid levels of the fat-free tissue such as muscle).
- Uses average population fat-free tissue values to work out fat percentage– so not suitable for athletes.
- A number of factors can affect the accuracy of the test: Eating habits/alcohol consump-tion/exercise/time of day
Describe the method for skinfold callipers
- Skinfold callipers measures (in mm) subcutaneous fat (below the skin) from a number of sites on the body.
- The sum of the measurements is used to estimate body fat percentage.
- A number of tests are available, using different parts of the body (gender specific)
Give 2 advantages of skinfold callipers
- Most widely used method of assessment.
- Accessible, cheap and practical to use.
- Provide a good estimate of body fat percentage (multiple site/gender specific tests)
Give a disadvantage of using skinfold callipers
Testers need training, to ensure the specific sites are measured accurately
