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You know if the subject were to consume a contrast agent used in radiology proceedures (don’t do this), you could probably get the machine to show implausibly low body fat percentages and high bone densities.
Hi – for BIA based testing, this study reports the exact opposite findings – at least when consuming just water: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7144212/. Would love to get your perspective on this.
And this one too: https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2013118
It might relate to the increase in body weight, as BIA uses prediction equations that involve body weight. Variations also could be due to variations in BIA equipment.
I know carb loading and creating can add to lean mass but does Dexa scan get the percentages first since it uses X-rays to capture the density of the body masses scanned then breaks it down to lbs using total weight when the scanner weighs you. I don’t see how an X-ray can directly determine lb weight . If it could then the scanner wouldn’t have to weigh you in the first place.
Hey James, I took my first test while normal dieting and now I have been water fasting for about 5 days, how will this effect the measurements?
It will likely increase your body fat %
James, I have a scale with BIA body fat measuring. You weigh, it shows your weight, then it takes a moment to calculate your body fat percentage and displays it. For some reason, every time I try to do the BIA it goes through the motions then says ERROR. I know it’s not a scale problem because other members of my family use the BIA and it works correctly for them every time and gives them a digital read of their BFP. I’m following directions to the letter and confused about why I would get an error. I’m definitely not… Read more »
BIA simply runs impedance measurements through your body and puts those into equations to calculate an estimated bodyfat percentage. It’s probable that the impedance measurements it’s getting produce erroneous results in the equations. That doesn’t mean there’s something weird with your body composition. It’s just that your impedance measurements aren’t falling within the normal range for the equation. It’s a problem with BIA in general.
Hey James, I’m actually getting a DEXA scan done in the AM and have been struggling to find a good set of guidelines to utilize to standardize the measurement as I have access to using the same DEXA routinely (every 3-6 months is the plan anyway), and this is the first quality article I’ve found on the subject! After reading your other posts I was semi disheartened by the lack of consistency among measurements. It’s nice to have some idea of how to potentially standardize the measurement. For reference, I’m a couple of weeks into a reverse diet, after a… Read more »
Thank you Steven!
How accurate do you feel Omron units are for testing body fat percentage? I recently completed a six week challenge in which I was beyond 100% honest. I ate so clean, worked out like crazy and drank my 2 gallons of water. My body fat dropped from 34% to 30% but I don’t believe it was accurate.
They are very inaccurate on an individual level. Read this article for more information on BIA like the Omron.
Great write up! I have a body fat loss challenge coming up, using DEXA testing, so will use the lean muscle increase information you provided; Is there a way to increase bf% for the initial scan (so its higher than actual bf%)? As the challenge is most bf% loss.
Dehydration, muscle glycogen depletion and a low carb diet may slight increase bf%
Sounds like hydrostatic is the way to go since it eliminates water as a variable!