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Updated December 16, 2014.

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There are many methods of assessing a person's body fat percent and lean mass. The most common methods include the following.

One method of body composition analysis in which a person is weighed while submerged in a large tank of water is called underwater or hydrostatic weighing This method of determining body composition relies on Archimedes' Principle of displacement which states:

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Compare prices: Body Composition and Body Fat Analyzers and Scales

The ideal weight and fat-lean ratio varies considerably for men and women and by age, but the minimum percent of body fat considered safe for good health is 5 percent for males and 12% for females. The average adult body fat is closer to 15 to 18% for men and 22 to 25% for women.

Athletes tend to be at low end of this scale due to their increased lean weight (muscle mass). While low levels of body fat seem to be related to improved performance, body composition alone is not a great predictor of sports success. A linebacker needs to have enough body mass (lean and fat weight) to generate high forces and avoid injury. Body fat among elite athletes vary largely by sport. There is little evidence of any benefit when men drop under 8% and women drop under 14 percent body fat.

While the average body fat percent in the United States and Europe is increasing, extremely low body fat percent is also a health problem. The female athlete triad highlights the problem. Women athletes who lose too much fat risk injury, decreased performance and health issues.

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Body Composition and Body Fat - Sports Medicine

This entry was posted on July 3, 2015 at 11:47 pm and is filed under Sports Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |